


Ground Zero: Redux

by WiggityFresh



Series: Persona: Shadows of the Goddess [1]
Category: Persona Series
Genre: Action, Aftermath, Chatting & Messaging, Drama, Light Angst, Post-Persona 5, Ren is from Inaba because this is MY fic and I make the headcanons, Rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-02-18 10:50:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 126,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21509863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WiggityFresh/pseuds/WiggityFresh
Summary: Amano Maya and Suou Katsuya have been investigating the Phantom Thieves for a number of months, and have hit nothing but dead ends and unanswered questions. Until now.Tracking down the thieves was the easy part, but sitting on ground zero of one of the largest Human/Shadow interactions isn't just going to pass over lightly, and the sudden culmination of Persona Users may cause more harm than good.Takes place in the Summer after the events of Persona 5.---------REWRITE OF 'GROUND ZERO"- Updates Bi-weekly!
Relationships: (mentioned) - Relationship, Amagi Yukiko/Satonaka Chie, Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Amano Maya/Suou Katsuya, Kujikawa Rise/Narukami Yu, Mishina Eikichi/Lisa Silverman, Sakamoto Ryuji/Takamaki Ann, Shirogane Naoto/Tatsumi Kanji, Takeba Yukari/Yuuki Makoto
Series: Persona: Shadows of the Goddess [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1451398
Comments: 92
Kudos: 132





	1. Let's Positive Thinking!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is essentially an edit/rewrite of the Ground Zero fic I wrote during the summer. Basically, after rereading it, while I did like how it was, I did realize that I had left a ton of things unclear and ended up explaining far too much in the comments rather than like... the fic itself. Plus, after replaying Persona 4 and 3, I feel like some of the characterization was a little bit off, and some characters got shoved to the side- like Fuuka, and I didn't even directly mention poor Ken and Koromaru. 
> 
> So, while there aren't going to be a ton of changes plot-wise (since I'm already writing Dark Sun as a sequel piece as of now)- the chapters are going to be a bit beefier (Chapter 1 is twice as long now, and I didn't even have that many issues with it), have a bit more detail in them, and there are going to be some extra chapters added in to fill in gaps and give characters some extra time to interact. Ground Zero felt rushed to me, and this is my attempt at making up for how.. fast it felt. Which is where the title came in. This is essentially an extended version, like Strange Journey Redux, Persona 5R, etc. It takes all the issues I had with the original, and gives me time to iron them out. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy! This may be a bit redundant for everyone who already read and enjoyed Ground Zero, but this is something that'll help me feel better about my writing, and maybe for everyone that wanted to reread it, or people who didn't read my first version, you'll enjoy some of the stuff I have planned on adding! This project is very selfish and self-indulgent, but while I always liked the concept, I did always feel like I was... rushing it. So here's what it looks like when I'm not scrambling to get it done. It's not going to be magically different, but it's just a lot of tweaks and changes that I wanted to make, and that had been bugging be for the past couple months.
> 
> Thank you very much, and as always, comments are always appreciated!
> 
> \- WiggityFresh

**June, 2017. Sumaru City.**

Amano Maya, freelance writer and investigator, wasn't one to 'let things go'. She didn't leave information on the doorstop, and let it get swept away without first checking every angle. And one of the angles that she had been checking came in the form of Tokyo, 2016. The day where the Phantom Thieves allegedly 'saved Christmas'. 

She hadn't been particularly following the Phantom Thieves. A few cursory browses of the site, a few glances at theories on forums and newspapers, but nothing huge. But that Christmas had struck something. All of the talks of gigantic demon lords and eldritch beings and horrors taking center stage bugged her. She needed to find out more about those thieves, and so she had stayed up longer than usual, attempting to figure out everything. Her dark hair clung to her face. Her eyes reddened and glued to her computer screen as she sat at a table, typing away furiously, the only thing keeping her sleep from catching her was the click of the keyboard keys. 

She heard footsteps coming downstairs. She waved them up. "I'll be going to bed in a minute, baby. I just need to finish this." 

Suou Katsuya was one of the top police detectives of Sumaru City, and being a detective, could easily tell when he was being lied to. "You've fallen down another rabbit hole again. You're way too close to your computer screen. You'll go blind." He knew that Maya was a hard worker, and despite how much she tried to smile through it, she was prone to be overworked- if not find a way to overwork herself. He admired his wife’s passion, that much was clear, but sometimes he worried. 

Maya hunched over slightly, practically feeling his anxiety looming over her. She knew he was well-meaning, but if she managed to crack this case… "I need to learn everything I can, Katsuya. Nobody knows a thing about their methods, or even what they look like. The closest source was the one time the leader of the thieves had been arrested, but the information is locked up so tightly that I might as well have not found it in the first place. Not even a real name has been leaked to the public. Do you know how long I looked just for a mugshot? And it's of some kid- it could easily be fake!" She rubbed her head, frustrated. 

Katsuya frowned. "Maya..." 

She turned around, giving him a soft smile. "I know, I know. Positive thinking. This kid could very well be one of the 'Phantom Thieves'." 

He walked up next to her, leaning against the back of her chair. "Besides, we're approaching this like normal people. When something weird happens, what are the chances that shadows, demons, and/or Personas are involved?" 

"...All of it." 

"So, instead of speculating from afar, why don't we take a trip to Tokyo? We're technically going to be on the job." He smiled at her. She smiled back, before giving him a peck on the lips. 

"I love you, Suou." She ran a hand through his hair. 

"Good. We can get packed after you get some sleep. It's three in the morning." He stood up, yawning, before lumbering his way back to bed. 

Maya stared at the screen for a moment, before scrawling down some names and locations. One of which she knew she was going to lend a visit to. Prosecutor-turned-Defense Attorney Sae Niijima. She closed the laptop, before following Katsuya. She just hoped the prosecutor was nice. 

* * *

Sae Niijima was not nice.

Katsuya looked over at Maya, who's facial expression seemed to have shifted into her 'business smile' rather than her 'friendly smile'. It wasn't extremely obvious to the untrained eye, but the tenseness around her lips and the fact that her hands, while clasped in a fairly innocuous and feminine position, were also clasped tight enough to effortlessly choke someone's neck- 

...Yeah, Maya was reaching her wits end of 'positive thinking' for this one. It was like her unstoppable positivity struck an immovable wall. Elder Gods? Doable. Difficult social situations where her charm didn’t seem to shine through? Much more difficult. 

“Niijima-san, we're just requesting to look at a few files involving the Phantom Thief cases. I know they're heavily classified, but you see, I'm working on this story about strange events in Tokyo-" 

Sae raised her hand, signalling Maya to stop. "I'm very sorry, Amano-san. I wish I could help you, but the Phantom Thief case has been cold and locked down for the past few months. The confession from Ren Amamiya-" 

"Do you think we could meet Amamiya-kun?" The writer asked, quickly. There seemed to be a bit of a worry in Sae's expression for just a moment, before it turned as stony and cold as always. Katsuya and Maya exchanged glances. This might be a bit more personal than either of them had suspected. 

"I'm afraid not. He's left the city, gone back to live with his parents and then go to university. If you were only here a few months ago, then we could talk." She shook her head, feigning disappointment. Maya finally frowned. Katsuya sighed, placing a hand on the small of Maya’s back. To get this far just to reach another dead end was disappointing for sure, but he knew that she’d recover. After all, she was the epitome of positivity, they’d just wait a bit and snag on to the next lead sent their way. 

"Well, we're very sorry for wasting your time. Still, it's very much an honor to meet you." Katsuya quickly added, slowly melting the growing tension. Maya sighed with a sense of dramatism that mirrored that of a teenager that had just gotten her car keys taken away. 

Sae either had an extremely good poker face, or honestly didn’t care about how Maya felt. She nodded slightly, giving Katsuya the slightest hint of a smile. How rare. "I've heard some things about you, Suou-san. The pleasure is mine. Now, if you don't mind, I need to-" 

"Oh, Sis!" 

A voice rang out, young, as a girl with brown hair styled into a bob rushed past them. She had the same piercing red eyes as Sae. Of course, that was the least interesting thing about her. As soon as she briefly passed by the two investigators, it felt like time had frozen. A stirring in their souls that they hadn’t felt in decades. Maya and Katsuya carefully stepped away as the prosecutors younger sister began talking. "I'm going to be heading to LeBlanc to catch up with Ren-kun for a bit! Do you want me to bring him a message from you? Actually- I might bring him over for dinner. For his first day back, I really don’t want him surviving off curry and-" She turned around, catching the mortified expression on her sisters face, the widening grin on the reporter's face, and the slight smirk form on the detective's face. "...Did I say something I shouldn't have?" 

Sae rubbed her temples. "...You're fine, Makoto. Just- you two, please don't cause any trouble." 

Katsuya took Maya's arm, directing the both of them to quickly bow in unison, before leading her out the door. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Niijima-san. Have a good day!" 

As soon as they stepped outside into the warm July air, Maya gripped Katsuya by the shoulders. "Did you feel that! That resonating chill in your soul?" Katsuya nodded, before rubbing his chin. 

"It was faint, but it was there. That girl had a Persona. Dormant, but there, like it's being locked away or suppressed." He noted. "LeBlanc's, huh? It might be worth checking out. Let's wait, before we actually visit. Maybe scope the place today, and then visit tomorrow." If they tailed Sae’s sister, that might end up with them in more trouble than needed. Besides, they were patient enough to wait for a little bit. At least he was. 

Maya winked at him, nudging his shoulder playfully. "Way ahead of you, babe! Let's do this!" 

* * *

The two of them walked towards LeBlanc, going over the files. Katsuya thumbed through a small folder, frowning slightly. “So, this is the third major Persona-Demon incident in years.” Maya said with a yawn. “Nanjo-san said he would try and use his informants to keep me updated, but even he’s having trouble giving us finite info… especially about the Phantom Thieves.”

Her husband paused for a moment. “...You get calls from Nanjo?” Katsuya raised an eyebrow, seeming legitimately surprised. She beamed up at him, nudging his shoulder. 

“Aw, are you jealous? Well, this is what happens when you’re nice to people. Besides, I’ve given the Nanjo Group some decent publicity. Shame they were overshadowed by Kirijo so quickly, but apparently Kirjo-san is incredibly involved with demons as well. Not like- 'involved with demons’- but like…” She trailed off, as Katsuya nodded. 

“I understand. Rumor has it that she’s running a black-ops team specifically made for hunting demons. Just rumors- but worth investigating if we ever visit Port Island. Another rumor says that she was part of a major demonic incident around 2009. But.. there are no records of it, and all the reports are hazy at best.” Katsuya seemed unsatisfied. Port Island was secluded, which meant that theoretically rumors spread like wildfires, but the most they were able to gather were a bunch of collective ‘I don’t know’ responses, and even those were few and far between. It was almost if everyone’s memory of the situation had been entirely blocked away. 

Maya pursed her lips. “And then Inaba in 2011.” That was a strange one as well. Inaba was an incredibly small town that had been plagued with murders not but a few years ago. Detective Prince Naoto-Sama was sent on the case, and apparently word spread around about an alternate world within televisions, or at least what seemed like it. People seemed to mention the ‘Midnight Channel’ constantly, but most of the rumors seemed to fall flat when the most interesting thing that seemed to show up was the fuzzy image of a peaceful field. Still, while Maya was never able to get in contact with Shirogane Naoto, she was slowly making headway towards getting an interview with Adachi Tohru, the apparent mastermind behind the murders in Inaba. 

“And so now we have The Phantom Thieves in 2016. No physical evidence of them even existing outside of a testimony from Amamiya Ren, and several anonymous people who had attempted to get him released from prison. We’re making a huge leap that this is even Persona-related. Sure, Personas and Demons can temporarily alter minds via spells, but this seems much more complex altogether.” 

Maya rolled her shoulders, stretching slightly. “And your opinion on Amamiya? Just since you’re a wonderful judge of character, Kacchan.” 

He shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you. If he’s got Niijima on his side though, then he’s either got something on her, or may not be as bad as the media makes him and the Phantom Thieves out to be. That being if he is a Phantom Thief to begin with.” 

A few minutes later, the two of them stood outside LeBlanc, Maya seeming deep in thought, thumbing through some notes and photos. "I think I have a plan." She said, with a small frown on her face. Katsuya stared at her, raising an eyebrow. 

"You had a plan when we left the hotel." He replied, sliding a lighter out of his pocket. 

"Yeah, but a Part 2 of the plan, in case Part 1 is a bust." She mumbled, continuing to flip through the pages. Katsuya eyed her handbag, grimacing slightly at something pastel, pink, and gun-shaped. 

"Please tell me it isn't 'hold up the cafe'." Katsuya groaned, lighting a cigarette. 

Her expression didn’t shift much, although the corners of her lips did twitch slightly. "So, sudden news, looks like I don't have another plan, but hand me one of those." She held her hand out, without looking. 

Katsuya stared at her with mild confusion, but shrugged and handed her one of his cigarettes. She wasn't one for smoking, but they hadn't worked together this long without trust. She snagged it, twisting it around in her fingers for a moment, before looking over to Katsuya, her lips curling into a smile. "Let's do this." 

"Good cop, bad cop?" 

She pinched his cheek, giggling. "What are we, amateurs? Just stick with the plan." 

* * *

LeBlanc was quiet. The owner had gotten a… fairly ominous phone call from Sae about being careful what he told the media. It could kill the woman to give him some context now and again, but she rarely called anyways. He sat on a stool behind the counter scratching his beard, flipping through a newspaper and enjoying the silence presented to him.

And then the door flung open. A man and a woman strolled inside, standing in front of the entrance as the door slowly creaked closed. Emphasis on slowly, as the woman less-than-subtly used her heel to slam the door shut. "You really need to oil that thing. Or get new hinges. I know a door guy and-" 

The man behind the counter was quick to interrupt. "Are you going to buy anything? We close in about an hour." 

“Sakura Sojiro. Owner of LeBlanc. Highly irritable, and apparently the temporary guardian of Ren Amamiya…” Maya murmured to Katsuya, who gave her a strange look, considering that they had gone over this information before, and absolutely none of this was new. 

Katsuya adjusted his shades, shaking his head calmly as he focused back on Sojiro. "We got coffee earlier. Hopefully we're not holding up any customer traffic." He made a slight gesture to the very empty cafe. The owner's brow furrowed. 

"So, what do you want?" 

Maya clasped her hands together, "So glad you asked! Me and my partner here are investigating the whole 'Phantom Thief' debacle that happened about a year ago? A few months ago, technically, but who's counting? We are, we're counting." Sojiro sighed, slowly putting down his newspaper, making it very clear that he was aware that this was neither going to be fast, nor that he was looking forward to it. Maya continued. "So, we've been doing a bit of searching, and lo and behold, we found a common denominator, yay! Katsuya- Katsuya-, pull out the slide, Katsuya-san!" She excitedly slapped his shoulder a bit as he reached into a bag with a long sigh, pulling out a piece of paper that had the words 'Common Denominator' in rainbow bubble letters. 

"I wish you picked something more professional, Maya." Katsuya remarked, nervously. He seemed about as confused and concerned as Sojiro, which the owner seemed to find slightly amusing. Of course, the amusement was overshadowed with general disdain for this entire situation. 

"Well, we all can't afford Copic markers! Sometimes you need to make do with stuff you find at the convenience store." 

"Please, just get this over with." Sojiro grunted. 

"Right! So, me and my incredibly attractive companion found a common denominator-" She gestured at Katsuya again. He slowly flourished the paper once more. "-and found one 'Ren Amamiya'. Have you heard of Amamiya?" She pulled out the cigarette, placing it vertically on the table, holding it steady with the tip of her finger. 

Sojiro rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't be talking to me unless I did. Yes, I housed the kid for a little bit while he was here on parole." 

She flicked the cigarette across the counter, watching as it lamely skidded to a halt in front of Sojiro, before holding a hand up to her mouth, gasping. "Parole? We have a little criminal on our hands, don't we?" She saw Sojiro's eye twitch. That definitely struck a nerve. Good. "A~nyways, as soon as our little crime-boy arrived in Tokyo, weird things started happening. Mental shutdowns up the wazoo! People dying, people changing hearts, and an upstart group claiming all the credit. Katsuya-" 

He pulled out another sheet of paper. A picture of Ren's mugshot with hastily drawn devil horns and a speech bubble that read "Me love crimes! <3". Katsuya groaned, Sojiro looked like he wanted to die. The older man’s eyes glanced out the window a few times, probably searching to make sure that no potential customers were watching this mess. 

"-So, we think he may be involved with the Phantom Thieves! I mean, him and one other. We met a young girl, Niijima Makoto? Real cutie. Definitely seems like his type. Turns out she's got the potential for having a Perso-" Katsuya lightly elbowed her. "-She's got the potential of being a person of interest! That's what I meant to say!" 

She walked up to the bar, leaning against it. "Come on, come on, Sakura-chan. Just give us a teensy bit of information, please?" Her hands danced across the counter, before snatching him by the apron. Despite her annoyingly infectious smile, it almost seemed as if the rooms temperature had dropped a few degrees. There was a bit more ‘edge’ to the woman questioning him than he expected, and he had to admit- it was making him a bit nervous. She giggled, pulling him closer. "I'll do anything... who knows, you might need a 'Missus Sakura' in your life, and luckily I'm into men with receding hairli-" 

"Listen. I'm done with this whole... thing! This is ridiculous. I don't know about the 'Phantom Thieves', Ren is just some innocent kid, and I don't know shit about Personas!" Sojiro boomed, pushing Maya away. She stumbled backwards, catching herself, before she started laughing, holding her arm up towards Katsuya for a high-five. He reluctantly returned it. 

"We are _so_ good." She said, folding her arms across her chest. 

"You're right about that." Katsuya replied, adjusting his shades. “I just wish your schemes were less… childish.” 

Sojiro stared for a moment. "Wh... what?" 

Maya shrugged, chuckling to herself. "Sorry for putting on a show like that, Sakura-san. From the information we gathered, it'd be easy to get you to slip up if you were irritated. And also from the information we gathered you were irritated by the following things--” She started listing off on her fingers. “--People talking too much, people loitering around the shop, people touching your things, people getting too close, people breathing, people in general." Maya winked. "Come on, I'm a top investigative journalist! I wouldn't dream of actually thinking marker drawings and inappropriate offers are professional. I'd have gotten fired by now. I just needed to act as irritating as possible in order to speed along the process! Besides, you're the one that wanted to 'get it over with' as soon as possible." 

Katsuya lit a cigarette, taking a drag. "All we really needed was you to admit you knew about Personas. We had planted the idea of us being aware of them earlier in the conversation, and if you were familiar, you would have subconsciously picked up on the bait. Dealing with the Collective Unconscious has prompted us to pick up a couple psychology books here and there." He paused, before watching as Sojiro’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Nevermind.” 

"Again, very sorry about my behavior, and I'm sure Ren is a good kid, that's not usual, but we are going to need you to call over Amamiya-kun and any friends he might have that are involved. And trust us, we're the good guys- this is more of a personal investigation. Not a formal one, so none of this will be turned into the police." 

"We're just looking into people like us. We've done a few looks into some other occurrences in Inaba, and with organizations with the Kirijo group. This one has this had the largest social impact." Her entire tone seemed to have changed, the weight of her gaze making Sojiro seem much smaller than before, when she was just rambling vapidly. She whipped out a few photos. The kids, all entering and exiting the cafe. "These are the thieves, right? I would have expected them to be older, but I'm very familiar with how determined and dangerous teenagers can be when they're on a mission." She glanced back at Katsuya, who simply nodded. 

Katsuya's head perked up, as he looked towards the stairs of the cafe. Maya hadn't even noticed them, they were so hidden in the back. "Speaking of teenagers, I don't think we need to call Amamiya-kun." He said, calmly, his point accented by the slow padding of footsteps downstairs. 

The kid was lanky, hunched over as a cat trotted down past him. His hair was unkempt, all over the place, and yet at the same time didn’t seem entirely accidental. ‘Lazy’ might have been a better term for it. His hands were locked in his pockets, as he glanced over to Sojiro, giving his caregiver a slight nod. He had probably been eavesdropping the entire time. The mugshot made him look much more intimidating, although maybe the glasses softened his features a bit. Katsuya made an immediate observation. He was trying to make himself seem smaller, less eye-catching. The boy in the mugshot had striking grey eyes, and a glare that could kill yet still seemed to have an air of cockiness about him. The boy in front of them, with his slouch and spectacles, seemed like someone who you could pass by without a second thought. Katsuya was impressed. Sure, a good lawyer might have suggested that shift in behavior, but it seemed like Amamiya had his own knack for pulling it off. 

Maya held up her fingers, framing him between them as if she was taking a picture. "Yeah, he's got it. Although, something's bugging me..." 

Katsuya folded his arms. "What is it?" 

"We should only be getting one 'ping' from this guys soul, but something... something is making me feel like there's more. Another Persona user, I think..." 

Ren finally spoke up. His voice was lower than expected. It demanded attention, showed a great deal of confidence for someone who seemed to be trying their damnedest to look underestimating. It reminded them of Tatsuya, almost. "...That's Morgana, my cat. I’m guessing you’re trying to sense my ‘Persona’. Or something. Honestly, meeting other people like me is… newish." 

Maya smiled. “Haha- you’re pretty sharp ki…” There was a pause, as the two adults exchanged glances, before simultaneously taking a surprised step backwards. 

"What?!" 

"Morgana has a Persona. He taught me how to use my own." He elaborated, in which the cat responded with a satisfied purr. Maya's gaze shifted over to Katsuya, who had been trying not to stare at the cat ever since it had trotted in. She rolled her eyes slightly. “Kacchan…” 

He flushed, fiddling with his shades, trying to regain his professional air. Maya could practically feel him gravitating towards the cat. "He- Morgana? Looks soft... Anyways, Amamiya-kun. If you wouldn't mind calling in the rest of your thieving friends, we have some questions." 

Sojiro watched for a moment, before glancing over at Ren. “...This is probably a bad idea, but if you’re confident, I can’t stop you.” Ren gave Sojiro a slight nod, before the owner of the cafe found himself seated back on his stool, taking a more passive stance on the interaction. 

The boy shared a look with the cat, as the feline seemed to meow what almost sounded like an affirmation, nodding its head. Ren pulled out his phone, typing calmly before stepping around the counter, slowly milling through the bags of coffee beans with one hand while still idly texting on his phone with the other. He looked over his shoulder at the two of them. "...Morgana has an 'okay' feeling about you guys, and I guess I do too. They'll be here soon. Now. How do you like your coffee?” 

* * *

_[MORGANA’S ANGELS]_  


**Ren** : Come to LeBlanc, Thief Meeting.  
**Ryuji** : U know u don't have to call it that right? we've basically finished phantom thief stuff  
**Ann** : Right, if you wanted to hang out again, just say so!  
**Ryuji** : Yo there’s a new ‘cake knight’ movie coming out if u wanted to go w/ me to see that? I mean it kinda looks garbage but yknow  
**Yusuke** : The Cake Knight? I’m not a fan, really. The colors used for his repertoire are garish, and his voice is grating and will certainly cause the actor many vocal issues down the road.  
**Ann** : There’s a new Cake knight movie coming out?  
**Futaba** : no all of you shut up this is serious :/  
**Ryuji** : How do u know?  
**Futaba** : wiretap, two guys figured us out and apparently our leader is ratting us out. hope you all look good in prison uniforms  
**Ren** : Futaba.  
**Makoto** : He is not 'ratting us out', I'm sure. If he believes this is important, than we'll go. I'll be there shortly. Besides, I think I might have an idea about these two. Sis was talking to two… reporters (?) during her lunch break. She seemed annoyed.  
**Haru** : Oh dear. Well, even if we don’t show up now, they may find us later. And besides, all of our real legal charges have been cleared, correct?  
**Ren** : Eh.  
**Ann** : That’s not reassuring!!  
**Ryuji** : This is gonna suck so bad. omw.  
**Yusuke** : Myself as well. I have been needing more models for emotions such as 'anxiety' anyhow, and I feel this may be a delicate opportunity.  
**Haru** : On my way!  
**Makoto** : Please don’t say anything entirely stupid until I get there. Or, well, try not to say anything stupid then either.  
**Futaba** : i’m hurrying over b/c apparently the lady cop asked ren if he wears a catsuit and i need to see how uncomfortable sojiro looks right now  
**Ann** : Okay, but Ren in a catsuit..  
**Makoto** : Ann.  
**Ann** : Sorry!! On my way!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a decent amount of willpower to not call this Ground Zero: DEEP, just to double down on the Strange Journey reference. Also, play SMT: Strange Journey. It's a very good game.
> 
> Also, yeah, I'll still work on Dark Sun. It's on a semi-hiatus as I try to get the plot a bit more... cohesive but still keep it a wild Persona Q style adventure. Which is difficult, but giving Ground Zero some more groundwork might help with getting those exclusive creative juices flowing!


	2. Master Persona

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya and Katsuya meet the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. A Persona-wielding group of rebellious teenagers?! They're obviously shocked and appalled by this revelation.
> 
> Additionally, the Thieves learn that Persona-usage isn't confined to the Metaverse, and a few members experiment with the idea of newfound power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving (for those who celebrate, if you don't, happy Thursday)! While I wish I had another chapter of Dark Sun ready for this holiday weekend, it's still being worked on. But there's also this! 
> 
> I would say I'm thankful for my readers- which is true and incredibly corny- so I'm not going to say it outright but it's heavily implied!
> 
> I hope you all have a good holiday, and if you happen to be reading this to dodge talking with family. I.. oof, I can kinda relate. I'll for sure be scrolling through a few fics once the conversations inevitably get more intense.

Amamiya Ren had prepared for a fairly normal summer. It wasn't like going back home was very comfortable- unlike Tokyo, he didn't have any friends that were willing to help dispel the rumors that he was a psychopath obsessed with assault. His parents weren't much of a help either. They were straddling the line between 'loving their son' and 'pretending he didn't exist', which definitely felt shitty. They were almost too excited when he suggested staying with Sojiro for the rest of the summer before school started. Still, he had prepared for an ‘eventful’ summer break in the way that most summer breaks were ‘eventful’. Fun memories relating to beach mishaps and high scores at arcades. So, imagine his surprise when he was suddenly faced with two adults that just… felt powerful. The man, with his auburn hair, red-hot shades and sideburns seemed to emanate this presence, a certain heat that seemed to radiate off him. Even knowing that Ren was a Phantom Thief, neither of them seemed to be apprehensive. In fact, they were trying to make themselves seem less threatening. Which brought him to the dark-haired woman, Maya. She had tried to make idle conversation, most of which Ren had responded with monosyllabic answers. Pleading the fifth, and all that. It was difficult though. She had the type of face that you could trust instantly.

Ren stared at the two of them for a moment, before trying something. He closed his eyes, activating his Third Eye, and was shocked to see several tarot cards hovering above them. Were they Wild Cards, like him? 

He closed his phone as the two newcomers stared at him for a moment, apparently assuming he was doing some sort of ‘mental scouting’, although neither of them could specifically place what. The stylishly-dressed man finally cleared his throat. "You know, we aren't here to arrest you, although it would be entirely within my rights." The woman next to him glared in his direction, before smiling at him with a disarming amount of softness. 

"Don't worry about Katsuya. Trust me, what we want to know is much bigger than the law!" 

Ren simply grunted in response, as Morgana hopped onto the countertop, staring at them. "Look at their eyes. They may just seem like nosy boring adults, but they're hiding something much more powerful." He arched his back, hissing towards them. The woman raised an eyebrow, the man… Katsuya seemed a bit hurt. Apparently, neither of them could understand Morgana, which gave him a bit of an extra hand. Although this could have very well been a repeat of the ‘pancake situation’, and they were just very good at picking which cues from Morgana to respond to. 

"They said something about sensing my Persona. Do you think..." Ren mumbled under his breath to the cat. The feline glanced at him for a moment, before nodding. The silence hung around for a few more moments, before the door to LeBlanc opened up once again. Ann strode through, stopping as she stared at the two strangers. She glanced over at Ren, silently asking what the play was. A casual shrug in retort made her sigh, before giving them both a small smile. 

Maya gave her a little wave. “Hello! I honestly can’t believe you’re a Phantom Thief. You are a Phantom Thief, right? There’s no point in lying. Still, I’ve seen a few of your magazines, Takamaki-chan!” Katsuya shook his head slightly, giving Maya a slight look of disbelief. Ren wasn’t sure if it was disbelief concerning the fact that Maya was ‘surprised’, or that she read the type of fashion magazines Ann modeled for. He didn’t think it was the time to ask. 

"Ahah, thanks. I appreciate it..." She said, sheepishly, shuffling over to a booth as Morgana happily hopped over to his Lady, purring happily as she scratched him behind the ears. "So... these the two, Mona?" She asked quietly. 

"Mrrrow... yeah, that's them- oh! Oh! Right there, Lady Ann!" He rumbled, curling up into a ball as Maya stared in confusion. 

"Excuse me, but why are you talking to the cat? Can you guys speak cat? Is that some sort of side effect to your Personas?" She asked, which seemed to be the first question that Ren felt fit to retort with yet another question, just to make sure. 

"You can't understand him?" He spoke, looking over at Morgana, who peaked up with a curious expression on his face. 

"But these two have Personas, right? They'd have to have spent some time in the Metaverse in order to awaken one..." Morgana mused, directing his attention towards Katsuya. 

Ren watched as the detective first pointed at himself to ensure he was the one being 'spoken' to, before replying with an unsure 'Meow?'. Maya snorted. He adjusted his glasses with a sigh. "This is crazy, do you think these kids are playing some sort of prank on us? I mean, they're supposed to be notorious thieves, right? Maybe this is a plan to make them seem so unhinged that they couldn't possibly convicted of a felony." 

Maya shook her head. "Doubt it, but we'll just wait and see. Besides, a talking cat isn’t super weird. Remember General Zula?" Maya asked with a smile, as Katsuya chuckled to himself. Ren looked between the two of them, wondering what they were even talking about, before Maya snapped into a mock salute towards Morgana. 

“Atten-shun! Morgana-chan! Ten-hut!” She yelled in English, catching Sojiro, who had been trying extremely hard not to pay attention, off-guard to the point where he had almost fallen off his stool. Katsuya followed Maya’s action, snapping to a near-perfect salute. 

“Sir-yes-sir!” He yelled in response- also in English, before the both of them dropped the salutes, snickering between themselves, before Katsuya tried to regain his calm composure, and Maya continued to feel free to giggle. 

Morgana blinked, giving Ren and Ann a worried look. “You know, they might actually be crazy. If we die here, I’m going to be very upset.” He backed away slightly, as Ann giggled slightly, still idly scratching Morgana. 

“Well, they can’t be any crazier than us, really.” Ann admitted calmly. 

She glanced backwards as Futaba sidled inside, followed by Yusuke. Ren gave them both a nod, as they sat down. There was a pause as Maya reached in her handbag, pulling out a small notepad. The two adults mumbled between themselves, focusing mainly on Yusuke, before Maya quickly pointed at Morgana. "Quick, new kids! What is the cat saying?" 

Morgana rolled his eyes. "Please tell her to stop calling me 'cat'. My name is Morgana. And I’m not a cat!" 

Yusuke piped up. "He says his name is Morgana. It would be kind of you to stop referring to him as a 'cat'. He takes particular offense to the term. Also because, upon technical means, he is not a cat. He just assumed the appearance of one." Katsuya shook his head in mild disbelief, as Maya gave a small bow towards the not-cat. 

"Sorry about that, Morgana-chan." She laughed nervously, Morgana huffed and returned to his snuggling into Ann. 

Slowly but surely, the rest of the thieves returned to LeBlanc. The two of them seemed curious, but apparently not unsurprised at the lineup, nodding expectantly when Ryuji wandered in, and exchanging calm looks when Haru arrived. Makoto being ironically the last one to step inside, giving the rest of the team a nervous look as she recognized the two extras. "Sorry, everyone. I may have inadvertently lead them to LeBlanc. I saw them talking to Sis earlier, and mentioned Ren's name along with the restaurant." She bowed her head softly, Ren gave an easy shrug, before the former Student Council Presided addressed Maya and Katsuya. 

"We're all here. What do you want?" 

"Wow... I can't believe you really are just a group of teenagers..." Maya stepped up front, positioning herself so that she could comfortably see everyone. "Answers, basically. We heard that you all defeated a god on Christmas! How exciting, it's always fun the first time!" Ren could see the edges of Katsuya's lips quirk upwards as he scanned the shocked and uncomfortable faces in the room. 

Morgana whispered. "Told you. Dangerous." 

Maya continued. "We've only got one under our belt too, but now isn't time to measure who did the coolest thing that affected the most people, but..." 

"Ma-ya." Katsuya cut in. 

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, we're just curious about you all! It's hard to believe you're all teenagers, but I guess people do tend to develop Personas fairly early. Speaking of, can we see them?" 

A lull fell over the Phantom Thieves. All eyes shot towards Ren as they silently tried to determine what to do. 'Do we tell them?' 'We lie and don't let them know we can't access them without the Metaverse?' He frowned a bit, before clearing his throat, making a decision that was only befitting for the Leader of the Phantom Thieves. 

"...No." 

Maya seemed to pout, and Katsuya nodded as if in understanding. "That makes sense. Maybe we should show them our Personas first? It seems only fair." 

Sojiro finally spoke up. "Uh, hey. Will that be dangerous? I haven't seen one of these things in person, but I'd rather they not destroy my shop." He looked at the rest of the thieves for confirmation- all they could give him were sheepish grins and half-assed shrugs. Besides, they were curious as well, since Maya and Katsuya had just brought up an incredibly interesting concept. 

It was possible to summon a Persona in the real world? 

Maya nodded, with a smile. "Think positive, Sakura-san! Your shop will be fine!" She closed her eyes, as a blue light began to flicker under her feet, and then trail up around her body, her hair starting to shift with an invisible wind. Her eyes snapped open, flashing yellow, then blue, then back to normal before a figure rose from her body. The figure was almost robotic, gleaming as if encased in some type of metal, or ice. It's head was shaped like a precious diamond, the only human facial features being a chin and mouth at the bottom, as if the diamond was being worn as some sort of ornamental helmet. The piping and 'gloves' made it seem more like something ripped from a sci-fi movie than the depths of someone's soul, and it stared (or Ren could only assume it was staring, due to the lack of eyes) at the thieves in the room, crossing its boot-clad legs. It spoke, in a voice reminiscent of Maya, but only slightly so. 

_"I am Artemis, the bringer of pure moonlight. Do not fear, children, as thy countenance reflects the pale purity of thy soul."_

The kids stared in awe, before suddenly shivering as the temperature seemed to plummet, the feelings of July washing away into a temperature that would more fit November. Yusuke smiled quietly to himself, as he slid his pad out of his carrier bag, inspiration apparently hitting him like a freight train. Sojiro took a sudden step backwards, staring at the journalists Persona. "Are you serious?” He yelled. “That's what you kids have been off fighting with?!" 

Futaba rolled her eyes. "Sojiro, I told you it was like that manga! The one I've been trying to get you to read for the longest time!" 

Sojiro gave Futaba a look, before shaking his head in a mixture between confusion, and bemusement as Futaba let out a soft 'wrrryyyy' as she sunk into her booth. 

Katsuya chuckled. "Did you script that little speech beforehand?" 

Maya rolled her eyes. "Shush. It's your turn." 

Katsuya shook his head, before focusing as the light began to surround his body as well. The form that arose from him was more akin to a Jester, Ren suddenly getting flashbacks to the chaotic design of Loki. Although while Loki was shrouded in darkness, this Persona seemed to be clad in light. Despite its black and white color scheme, it shone with a furious power, the stripes on it's outfit seeming to flip with the wind and extend like sunbeams as it splayed it's arms outwards. It had no face, but let out a booming chuckle. 

_"I am Hyperion. Father of the Heavenly Bodies on high. Those who bathe in my light will be forever protected."_

Maya gave Katsuya a smug look as he averted his gaze in a moment of slight embarrassment, before looking expectantly at the teenagers. Their expressions were fitting for the situation. After all, these two were powerful enough to summon their Personas without help. That was… dangerous and off-putting. And at the same time, incredibly cool. The two of them called off their Personas with ease, before waiting. 

Ryuji leaned forwards, eyes wide. "Yo, you guys can actually summon your Personas in the real world?! For real?!" 

All eyes snapped towards him. That cat was out of the bag. He looked around sheepishly, before looking downwards. "Ah... were they not supposed to know that? Shit. I'm sorry." 

"As expected of Ryuji..." The cat murmured. 

"What was that you flea-bag?" The runner snapped back. 

Maya frowned. "So you kids can't use your Personas? I guess that's why they feel so chained up. But then, how'd you awaken to them?" 

It was Haru's turn to speak up. It was as good a time as any to explain. "Well, Investigator-san, our powers came to us in a parallel world known as the Metaverse. But the Metaverse is closed off to us now, so we are currently unable to use our abilities." The rest of the teens nodded, glad that Haru was concise, if not anything. Morgana would have taken those few short sentences, and turned them into an hour-long lecture. 

"My name isn’t ‘Investigator-san’, silly! It’s Amano Maya, Ace Journalist! But, call me Maya, please. And this is Suou Katsuya. I could have sworn we introduced ourselves earlier, but I suppose that was before everyone got here. Still... a parallel world? They should still be able to have their Personas, right? Part of their souls can't be trapped in a whole other plane of existence." She looked at Katsuya for confirmation, as he shook his head. 

"No, we should find a way to be able to 'pull them out' so to speak." 

Maya paced for a moment, before snapping her fingers. "The game! The Persona Game!" 

"Don't be ridiculous, that's for kids!" Katsuya retorted. 

Maya gestured to the patrons at the cafe, raising an eyebrow. Katsuya opened his mouth to retort again, before her point dawned on him. He adjusted his glasses with a sigh, before walking around, shutting off all the lights, with mild protest from Sojiro, before even he eventually gave up. This was way over his head. Ren pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, watching the two of them curiously. ‘Persona Game’ was something he was unfamiliar with. He glanced over towards Morgana, who seemed just as confused about what Maya and Katsuya were attempting. Oddly enough, after a cursory look around, it seemed like Yusuke was the only one nonplussed by what was going on. The two of them locked eyes, and Ren raised an eyebrow. Yusuke got the hint. 

“I don’t know much about it. It’s a children’s game that goes by the name of ‘Master Persona’. I… didn’t realize any connection until now. Especially since the game was mainly used for fortune telling, rather than Shadow-based combat.” He explained calmly. “I never played it myself. Most of the children I knew were too scared to engage with it, as there were rumors about ‘demonic possession’.” 

Futaba snickered. “Ooh! Sounds freaky!” 

"Any volunteers?" Katsuya asked, plaintively. 

Yusuke raised his hand. "...I'd like to try and awaken my Persona within reality. I can sense Amano-san and I have a similar affinity, and would like her to assist me." 

Maya smiled, nodding excitedly, as Ann slowly raised her hand as well. "...Well, if that's the case, then I'd want the same with Suou-san.I know I can get stronger with my 'agi' magic!" Katsuya shrugged. 

“Well, if you insist…” 

Ren stood up, wordlessly. Nobody questioned him, generally nodding in some sort of understanding. It only fit that the leader would participate. And Morgana followed suit with a triumphant purr. "If Lady Ann will brave this dark incantation, than so will I!" 

She had all the volunteers stand in a circle, a few worried whispers between her and Katsuya, in which Ren could pick out that she was worried about what would happen since Morgana was involved. One of her whispers mentioned 'one of them accidentally switching bodies with a cat', which almost made him back out then and there. She glanced over, realizing Ren was staring, and gave him a warm smile. He decided to stay. 

"Okay!" She turned around quickly, pretending as if all her prior anxiety didn't exist. "So, you follow each other in a circle, and chant 'Master Persona, Master Persona, come to us,' over and over. You keep walking in the circle until the person in the fourth spot- Morgana-chan- has ended up where the leader is- Amamiya-kun. The others follow suit. So, ready to get creepy?" 

The participants nodded, and did as instructed. They did their first movement, chanting. 

  
**"Master Persona... Master Persona… Please come here..."**

The lights flickered, and Makoto squealed, scooting closer to Haru. The group moved again. Sojiro looked around the cafe with a worried expression. 

**"Come to us… Master Persona..."**  


The room began to shake, as faint forms resembling what could be the participants shadow selves flickered from their bodies, slowly shifting, growing, and changing shape. The Shadow Yusuke seemed to be clutching his head and weaving about in a way reminiscent of his first awakening. The Shadow Ann writhed about in agony, her hips gyrating and her arms spasming violently as steaming tears seemed to be forced out of her face. Ren’s Shadow was glasses-less, throwing his head back in a soundless scream as he thrashed his shoulders back and forth. Morgana’s situation was… different. It seemed to resemble his Metaverse-form, albeit with glowing yellow eyes, although it seemed to be at peace, glowing a faint blue color. The other Thieves watched in curiosity and horror, and even Maya and Katsuya seemed to be taken aback by the sight. 

  
**  
"Come! Master Persona!"**  


The group yelled, finishing before they all collapsed onto the ground. The remaining thieves stared in horror for a second, before the flickering forms resting in the air shifted from humanoid, into the shapes of their respective Personas. 

* * *

A butterfly. A man in a mask. A flash. The room gasped as the faint form of Arsene formed behind Ren first. It threw its head back in a triumphant roar, before calmly adjusting it’s suit with clawed hands, letting out a low chuckle. 

_”I see. Pillaging the Metaverse wasn’t satisfying enough, and even you could tell that Pretender God Yaldabaoth was naught but a babe to the grander scheme of things. No, our heist upon reality must be direct! I am thou, thou art I, I am relieved for my wings of rebellion to flutter forth once more!”_

The flashing form of Hecate flared to life behind Ann, the beings it had chained up barking and thrashing around wildly. It chuckled haughtily, casting a condescending eye at everyone below it. 

_“You wish to assume the mask of a heroic villainess once more? I see, just as I freed you from your shackles, you wished to free me from mine. Your kindness will make an incredible weapon. I am thou, and thou art I. Go forth, thy vixen, and cause mischief!”_

Kamu Susano-o swung it’s sword, the room rumbling with each of its powerful movements as it paraded behind Yusuke. 

_“Hypocrite savior who shares thine likeness, my brother at arms! The world is still filled with contradictions and horrors, and yet you still attempt to save it. Your actions are commended, and I thank thee deeply. I am thou, thou art I!”_

The only one that stayed silent was the fluttering form of Mercurius that hung over Morgana. The small cafe was feeling extremely crowded, and the pressure and power of the Personas seemed to only make it seem more so. But, after a moment, all of the teenagers Personas vanished from sight, Ren, Ann, and Yusuke clutching at their heads as if contracting a brain freeze, as Mercurius simply faded away calmly. 

"Woah..." Ann murmured. "It looks like it worked. Although... I really need a nap after that. Maybe just some time to lie down with a tub of ice cream..." 

Yusuke grimaced. "I hardly want to think, much less eat... oddly enough..." 

"Did you see a man in a mask? Did you speak to him?" Katsuya asked, abruptly. 

Ren shook his head. "...I saw him, but then he was gone..." 

Maya frowned. "So we couldn't reach Phil... that's a little disappointing..." She paced again. "...but, since we wouldn't be able to reach Philemon, maybe we could reach Igor? I just want to see if it's still possible to get to the Velvet Room. It's been... more than a few years." 

Ren cleared his throat, still trying to quell the splitting headache, but felt like he could at least operate. "I can take you there... just give me a second to rest." 

Maya and Katsuya exchanged glances for the umpteenth time, before shrugging. Why not? 

* * *

Moments later, after heading to a back alleyway, they all found themselves crammed in a jail cell.

Igor sat at his usual spot, the singing in the background delicately contrasting the prison-like appearance of the Velvet Room. Maya looked around, a small grimace at her face. 

Ren could tell the Velvet Room was different. It was his prison, but it felt larger, more whole. A darkly-dressed man played a grand piano in the background, and a flamboyantly-dressed- although with an equally muted color scheme- woman sang. While he didn't feel familiar with their faces, the music was welcome to his ears. 

"I suppose Igor did some redecorating..." Maya mumbled, as she pulled her way out of the cramped cell. 

Katsuya shrugged. "He and Philemon work in mysterious ways, I suppose." 

They stepped out of the little jail cell, before both Maya and Katsuya realized Ren's change of clothing. His casual outfit had swapped into that of his usual 'Joker' attire, as he continued forwards, the three of them stopping before Igor's desk. 

The long-nosed figure stared at a moment, and Ren could swear he saw that eternal grin widen a bit. "Ah, welcome back to the Velvet Room. It has been quite a while since you've returned to us." 

The short attendant clutched her book tightly, a light blush crossing her face as she spotted Joker. "Ah, welcome back my Trickster." Joker smiled, nodding calmly. 

“It’s good to see you again, Lavenza.” 

His attention was diverted as Igor sighed quietly. "Miss Amano, I don't think that's-" It was too late, the woman had already stepped around and leaned over, embracing him. Igor's eyes glanced away for a moment, as he let out a small chuckle. "...I have missed you as well. Although I should have believed that fate would bring us together once again." 

"While I'm here, Igor. I noticed something odd about Maya-san and Katsuya-san." The two adults glanced at Ren for a moment. "When I used my 'Third Eye', they had several tarot cards above them. What does that mean?" 

Igor chuckled. "Very good observation! While many people are confined to one Arcana, some are partial to a few. Personas are representative of many faces, after all, and Miss Amano and Mister Suou express that very well, just as you wield the power of the Wild Card. For example, Miss Amano is extremely efficient with Personas of the Moon Arcana, but also one of the Temperance, Hermit, and Magician Arcanas. However, your power differs due to the fact that you can command any Persona with ease, while they are confined to a happy few." 

Katsuya seemed slightly offended at the implication that his and Maya's powers were 'weak' per se. "Wait, what is a Wild Card-" 

__  
"The lines of fate will wind together the Sea of Souls once more ♪  
Those who yearn for rebellion need to heed the fear the fissures of reality ♪"  


The woman in the back belted out suddenly, before returning to her singing, hardly missing a beat. Katsuya winced, Maya hummed to herself along with the backing music.

"Never took Belladonna for the prophesying type. What does she mean, Igor?" Maya asked, looking down at the puppet. 

"It has been a great deal of time since you've sealed away Nyarlathotep. However, as he represents all that is negative in the hearts of men, he will never be destroyed truly unless man itself has been destroyed..." 

"And that's not an option." Ren mused, rubbing his chin. He didn’t know who- or what- Nyarlathotep was, but apparently it was bad based on Maya and Katsuya’s strained reactions. 

"Exactly. While you still have a great deal of time before any sort of threat occurs, you must not be careless. Miss Amano, Mister Suou, it is your responsibility to make sure these kids are able to escape any potential ruin. While they are powerful, they are still young." 

The two adults exchanged glances. Lavenza cleared her throat. "I know this sounds a bit overwhelming. As my master said, you have a great deal of time, but our Master of Masters is feeling a shift in the worlds cognition." She walked over to Joker, taking his hand in hers. "Please be careful, my Trickster." 

Joker nodded, before looking towards Maya and Katsuya. "...Are you satisfied? We should get going." He headed towards the Velvet Room's exit, while Maya hung around for a few more seconds. 

"Hey... Igor? Could we please get a key or something? Just so I get to see your face more often." 

The old man smiled, before holding out his hand, forming a blue key in his palm, watching as it carefully floated over into Maya’s hands. "You are always welcome, Miss Amano. It is good to see you again." 

Katsuya rolled his eyes, before following Joker out. "Come on, Maya. It’s getting late in real-world time anyways. We should leave these kids alone for the time being." 

The blues of the Velvet Room faded away as Ren, Maya, and Katsuya stood calmly in an alleyway. Maya smiled, turning to the two men. 

"Well, putting that foreboding stuff aside for now, who's ready for some training! Let's get those Personas powerful in any reality, hooyah!" 

Katsuya shook his head, before looking over at Ren, now back in his usual attire. “Tomorrow, though. You all need rest, and we do as well. Tell your friends that we’ll be back at around noon.” Ren nodded in response, before heading back towards LeBlanc, as the two adults headed their own separate ways. 

* * *

“So, thoughts so far?” Katsuya asked, landing exhaustedly on their shared hotel bed.

“The human body has enough fat to make at least seven bars of soap on average…” Maya muttered, idly writing in her notepad. 

“...What?” 

Maya looked up with a blank expression. “Huh, what? Oh, thoughts on the Phantom Thieves! Sorry!” She giggled, putting the pad down. “They seem like nice kids!” 

“Do you think they’re toying with us?” He asked, taking off his shades and placing them to the side. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing. “Amamiya is clearly more clever than he wants us to realize, and he has a fairly tight control over his team. He could make commands and suggestions with nothing more than gestures.” 

“Oh, Kacchan…” Maya hopped next to him on the bed, nudging his shoulder gently. “That’s called ‘body language’, sweetie. They’re probably close enough friends so that they can pick up on his inflections easily.” 

He frowned, before nodding. “I suppose you’re right--” 

“What’s important is how close we were to their identities! I mean, we had a suspect list, but can you believe how close we got?” She got up, jogging over to the notepad before holding it out towards Katsuya. He squinted, before giving her a look. 

“You know your handwriting is impossible to read.” 

“Geez, you’re just like Yukki…” She pouted, before sitting down, reading it off herself. “Suspects post-‘Kamoshida Case’. Amamiya Ren, transfer student, arrived only a few weeks before the Phantom Thief incidents began. Takamaki Ann, model, and rumored to be close with Kamoshida. Seemed to garner a massive boost in popularity post-confession, and show a sudden increase in mental health after Kamoshida’s expulsion as stated by students via private interviews. Sakamoto Ryuji, close friends with Amamiya Ren, began to express a decline in delinquent behavior after Kamoshida’s expulsion, as well as a renewed interest in sports.” She paused. “The only ones that we were wrong about were Suzui Shiho- although she was hospitalized, so that seemed like a dumb guess. Poor girl… additionally, Yuuki Mishima didn’t show up alongside the others, although he is known to be a ‘phanboy’. One student we interviewed noted it as ‘fucking annoying’.” 

“Jeez, are people not allowed to be passionate about things?” 

“I know, right?! Next was Kitagawa Yusuke, who was the only current pupil of Madarame. He was a suspect for obvious reasons, even more so when he started hanging out with Amamiya, Sakamoto, and Takamaki.” 

“The only one that was a real curveball was Niijima Makoto. The sister of one of the head prosecutors on the Phantom Thief case? The amount of insider information she could drain from her sister was probably incredibly beneficial to her team, and her connection to the Phantom Thieves was flimsy at best. She was threatened by Kaneshiro, but so were a plethora of other students. She also didn’t seem to go any social changes, and her time with the others seemed to be excused by the fact that she was being requested to tail Amamiya and his friends by her principal.” 

“Of course, Sakura Futaba due to her connection to Sakura Sojiro, the guardian of Amamiya Ren. Okumura Haru, and I would have wagered that was all of them, outside of Morgana-chan.” 

Katsuya rubbed his chin. “Their Personas were interesting as well. While they certainly seemed… sinister in a sense, they also seemed to push forth a powerful… resonance. I’m not sure how to explain it, but just being around them made me feel more ‘free’.” 

Maya nodded. “Yeah, me too. We can ask about it later, though…” 

Katsuya yawned, “Well, I think we’ve made good progress on your case. Let’s just… call it for today, okay?” He stretched, Maya did the same. 

“Good call, Kacchan. Besides, a cold shower might do me good. I’m getting jitters from excitement!” Maya laughed, standing up. Katsuya gave her a look, before sighing. 

“...About that.” He began. 

“About that…?” She repeated. 

“Maya, no matter how you look at this, we need to be cautious. Trust me, I’m excited to meet the Phantom Thieves too, and what Igor said was definitely important, but we can’t just dive in pretending we’re superheroes. I know you’re excited about a new adventure, but we’re going to need to accept the fact that we can’t throw caution to the wind and hope it’ll work out before, and that we’re not the ‘heroes’ of this ‘story’ anymore.” He said, calmly. She stared back at him for a moment, her expression unreadable, before shifting into a soft smile. 

“I’ll be taking my shower now. Then maybe we could rent a movie, kay?” She nodded to herself, as Katsuya opened his mouth to say something else, before finding himself talking to nothing but a closed door as it suddenly found itself slammed between him and Maya. 

Maya stepped in front of the mirror, her eyes catching a glimpse of something. Her reflection- which was supposed to be doing… reflection-y things- she could have sworn it was glaring at her. She turned to face it quickly, before squinting. 

It squinted back. 

She stuck out her tongue. 

It did the same. 

She smiled. 

It sneered, it’s eyes flashing yellow for a brief moment. A voice echoed throughout the small bathroom. 

_”Soon.”_

She jumped backwards, her head slamming into the wall. Her reflection seemed to be back to normal, considering that it did the same. “Ah! Son of a- nngh!” She rubbed her head, standing up shakily. A knock came from the other side of the bathroom door. 

“Maya… are you alright? Did you slip? Do I need to call the h-” 

She shook her head, before laughing shakily. “It’s nothing, Kacchan! Just… got spooked from my own reflection. That’s all.” 

She heard a tired, but relieved sigh from the other side. “...Alright. Thank god.” She listened as his footsteps found their way away from the door, and she sighed, her shoulders slumping. 

“...You’re just tired, Ma-ya.” She mumbled to herself. “You’re tired, and excited, and now your brain is doing weird stuff. It’s all in your head.” She glanced up again, giving a wary look towards her reflection, who returned the suspicion. She frowned. 

_Right_. All in her head.


	3. Beef Bowls and Dossiers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto finds out some information on the two new adults. Ren makes friends with a dog. Maya makes a phone call. Futaba's nicknaming habits get called out.

**Makoto:** So. Thoughts?  
**Ryuji:** u can’t close ur eyes while sneezing  
**Makato:** Thank you for that fact, Ryuji.  
**Makoto:** But I was asking about Amano-san and Suou-san.  
**Haru:** They make a lovely couple! Very ‘yin-yang’.  
**Makoto:** Oh boy.  
**Makoto:** I mean, can we trust them? Suou-san is with the police, and Amano-san is closely connected to the media.  
**Futaba:** i ran some background tests on them apparently they’re friends with BAOFU.  
**Ryuji:** who dat  
**Futaba:** he’s a real old school name when it comes to hacking. He could gather data on people in a matter of days  
**Ann:** ...  
**Futaba:** it was fast for the time okay?? jeez  
**Haru:** Well, if they try anything, we can just eliminate them! After all, we drastically outnumber them, and bodies decompose much faster when used as fertilizer!  
**Ren:** Haru. That’s murder.  
**Ann:** She’s just joking around ren lol  
**Ann:** Right Haru?  
**Haru:** (´°ω°`)

* * *

“So, have they been bothering you?” Sae’s curt voice cut through the silence. Makoto looked up from her phone, which seemed like a bad idea, since while Haru was incredibly compassionate, competent, and considerate… it was very difficult to tell whether her morbid comments were just her attempts at humor or a look into a deeper, hidden self. She glanced over the couch back towards the kitchen counter her older sister was leaning against, idly nursing a cup of coffee that Makoto had made early that morning before the two of them went to the gym. Sadly, that ended up abandoned for several hours. Makoto assumed Sae was just drinking it so that her feelings weren’t hurt.

“Not necessarily.” Makoto said, calmly. She knew she didn’t need to dance around ‘Phantom Thief’ business with her sister. Well, mostly. Sae still had her reservations, and Makoto didn’t want her big sister to worry. Especially since Sae thought that all of it was over, but Maya and Katsuya seemed to imply otherwise. “They know about our powers. They offered to help us control it a bit better.” 

“...Interesting. Suou-san never came across as the type that would engage in… well, with the infamous ‘Phantom Thieves’.” Sae took another sip from the mug, and Makoto’s brow furrowed slightly as her sisters’ nose wrinkled slightly. 

“He’s hesitant. Amano-san seems more… excited.” There was a pause, before Makoto sighed. “You don’t have to drink that you know.” She said, smiling sheepishly. “I can brew a fresh pot. It won’t take that long.” 

“You don’t have to do that, Makoto. It’s perfectly fine.” Sae began, giving the mug another tentative sip. Sae’s eyes glanced off to the side for a moment. “But if you truly insist…” She dumped the rest of the coffee into the sink in one smooth motion. Makoto wasn’t sure if her sister had been practicing the best way to get rid of the coffee earlier, or was just that talented. “I also didn’t expect Suou-san to be in the possession of… ‘Persona’, as you called it. I’ve been doing some research on that, by the way.” 

Makoto raised an eyebrow. She had expected that Sis would have wanted to get involved, but she also wasn’t exactly sure what ‘research’ entailed. “What did you find?” 

Sae picked up a thin, black folder from the counter, throwing it Makoto’s way. It spun through the air, before the younger Niijima deftly caught it, flipping it open. “Well, let’s clear the obvious out of the way first, shall we? You already know that ‘Persona’ and ‘Shadow’ are both psychological concepts. Mainly emanating from studies from Carl Jung, et cetera.” 

“Of course.” Makoto replied. She had done some research herself, but had some difficulty finding anything… understandable. Jung, like most in his field, was long-winded and filled with spiraling words and metaphors. Still, the basics were easy to decipher. She opened up the folder, briefly skimming through it. 

“Recognize anything?” Came the expectant voice of Sae. Makoto’s eyes trailed back and forth, her lips pursing before landing on one name, written entirely in capital letters. 

JOKER. 

“Suou-san and Amano-san reside in Sumaru City, home of the JOKER killings. However, it has also been the source of several supernatural events. Or, allegedly so. People have spread rumors about demons and storybook monsters coming to life, although the idea is that they were stopped by a small group of locals. I’m just hypothesizing, based on what I’ve found and what you know…” 

* * *

“...Maya-san and Katsuya-san are those people?” Ren asked, twirling his chopsticks in his right hand. His brow furrowed in thought, as Makoto nodded, still thumbing through the ‘dossier’ that her sister had given her. It was an interesting concept- especially since neither of them seemed extremely phased at the feats of the Phantom Thieves. And that thing Amano-san had said earlier after realizing they were the ones who defeated the corrupt god Yaldabaoth… 

‘It’s always fun the first time’... 

Just what kind of monsters did Amano-san and Suou-san deal with? If they were so casual about destroying ‘gods’, then maybe her friends were getting involved with people wildly more powerful than them. She heard someone snap their fingers, before looking up into Ren’s amused stare. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, giving her a knowing smile. She smiled sheepishly, feeling her cheeks flush slightly, before he drummed his chopsticks against the beef bowl. 

“You’re wondering how strong they are, right?” He asked, calmly. His shoulder jerked to the side as the strap on his bag almost came loose, before Morgana wriggled and stuck his head out through the opening. 

“It’s worrying.” The not-cat purred. “Sure, they both seem sincere, but we’ve dealt with liars before. Especially ones with cute smiles.” 

Makoto nodded. Akechi, even when they just thought he was a detective after the Phantom Thieves, managed to keep a disarming air about himself. Even when they had expected his betrayal, they had never expected him to be so… unhinged. Makoto could sense some similarities between Akechi’s ‘performative self’ and what they had seen from Amano-san so far. Although Makoto wanted to feel as if it was more… genuine. Still, they couldn’t just push the idea that they would break out into slasher smiles and hold them at gunpoint to the side. They needed to be prepared for anything. “Futaba said she ran a few background checks. Maybe we should ask her more about them later?” 

Ren was slowly making his way through his beef bowl, so Morgana continued to speak in his stead. “That seems like the best. Although they do hold the trump card of knowing our identities. I’d say our best bet is to have faith, and not reveal more than we have to.” 

“Mmph.” Ren muttered in agreement, before setting his chopsticks to the side. “Right. Besides, they don’t know anything about our powers either. They know about ‘Persona’, but they don’t seem to know anything about the Metaverse, or how we steal hearts. If we stay somewhat enigmatic, we’ll be fine.” 

They both had a point. While there was some room for worry, throwing things into limbo wouldn’t help. They just needed to continue forth with caution, like always. “Right. Besides, if we can all awaken like you, Ann, Yusuke, and Morgana did, we’ll have the numbers advantage.” 

Morgana frowned slightly. “Let’s not get cocky. It took all of us to defeat Akechi. Numbers don’t mean much as far as strength goes, more so versatility.” 

“Right… but, that other thing that Sis found…” 

Ren’s expression grew grim. “The JOKER thing, right? Do you think that’s why they expressed interest? Once Mishima ‘leaked’ our codenames, it spread pretty quickly. Do you think they’re trying to find out which one of us is ‘Joker’ and test us?” 

Makoto smiled slightly. “If they haven’t realized it’s you by now, then there’s not much of a point. But still, that might be keeping them on edge as well. JOKER was a notorious serial killer and arsonist- Sudou Tatsuya. I did some searching afterwards, and it seems like people are starting to build connections online. Nothing substantial, but… well, having the same codename as a serial killer and having nebulous connections to mental shutdowns isn’t a good look.” 

“But Joker isn’t a killer!” Morgana whined, as Ren slowly and forcefully pushed Morgana’s head back inside the bag. 

“Not so loud. You might--” 

He was cut off by the sound of frantic barking as a white shiba inu scrambled inside the beef bowl shop, running up to Ren and Makoto, looking up at them as it barked. Makoto stared at the dog for a moment, noting the orange jacket it had around its body, and the tiny angel wings attached to its back. It sat down on its haunches, looking up at Ren with a strangely familiar and happy expression on its face. Makoto looked over at Ren, who gave her a dubious look and a shrug which Makoto could assume meant that he was as unfamiliar with this dog as she was. Ren smiled calmly down at it, picking out some meat from his beef bowl and holding it over the dog, watching as it’s tail wagged happily. It yipped, before batting the meat from Ren’s hand with a paw and lapped it up off of the tiled floor. 

“Oh, that’s adorable.” Makoto said with a chuckle. She heard Morgana groan from the bag, before another set of footsteps ran inside. A young man- who looked about their age- with swept brown hair jogged inside, smiling nervously at the both of them before kneeling down and scratching behind the dog's ear. 

“Come on, Koromaru. Don’t run off like that. Tokyo is a busy city, you could get hurt.” He scolded gently, as the dog looked up at his apparent owner with a soft whine, before circling around Ren’s seat a few times, tail still wagging. The brown-haired boy looked up at Ren with a curious expression, standing up. Makoto glanced over at her friend, who had switched from his natural, confident posture to his usual ‘unassuming’ posture, his shoulders slouching a bit more. “What’s that? Do you like him, Koromaru? I’ve never seen you act like that with a stranger before.” The boy asked curiously. The dog howled softly, as he chuckled, before looking at the two of them. “I’m sorry about this. Normally Koromaru is a bit more well-behaved.” 

“It’s fine.” Ren assured. “We were close to wrapping things up anyways. Right, Makoto?” He gave her an expectant look, so she nodded in response. She nodded, gathering up the folder under one arm. The newcomer eyed it curiously, before focusing back on his dog. 

“Well, again, sorry about that. This place isn’t anything like Iwatodai.” He said, before gesturing for Koromaru to come closer, as the shiba inu barked and ran back over to its master. “Amada Ken. We’re new in town.” 

“Amamiya Ren.” Their leader introduced. Ken’s expression grew strange for a second, before he shrugged it off with a smile. “And this is Niijima Makoto.” Ken bowed to the both of them, before Koromaru barked towards Ren’s bag expectantly. Ren blinked, before unzipping the bag all the way, Morgana’s tiny head carefully poking out. “I guess he got a whiff of Morgana. He’s my cat.” 

“I’m not a cat!” Morgana snapped back, as Ren chuckled, slowly pushing Morgana back in the bag. “Wait- you can’t- stop shutting me up like thi--!” 

Ken laughed, shaking his head. “I guess we both have noisy pets.” 

“Seems like.” Ren replied. “What brings you to Tokyo? I mean, it is summer break, so I’d guess tourism.” Ken paused, thinking. 

“Well… part-pleasure, part-business. Speaking of, I have to go meet someone.” He bowed slightly. “It was nice meeting you, Amamiya-san. Niijima-san. Maybe we’ll see each other again.” He turned around, giving them a friendly wave before walking out the door to the beef bowl shop, Koromaru trotting along behind him happily. Makoto smiled, before realizing that they had very quickly become the center of attention in the shop. The owner approached Ren sheepishly. 

“Amamiya-kun. While you were a fine employee, you do remember that animals aren’t allowed in here, right? It’s a health risk.” 

Ren smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time. Come on, Makoto.” He stood up, gesturing with his head for her to follow. “Do you want to head back to LeBlanc?” He asked calmly, as they stepped outside of the Beef Bowl shop into the warm streets of Tokyo. She stretched, before shrugging. 

“That seems like a good idea. After all, we--” She felt her phone buzz, before pulling it out of her pocket. 

* * *

**Futaba:** Hyphie and Artie are in LeBlanc  
**Ryuji:** ...who dat??  
**Haru:** I assume she means Hyperion and Artemis, as in Suou-san and Maya-san.  
**Futaba:** THANK YOU HARU  
**Yusuke:** That’s a rather odd naming convention. You have never addressed Haru as Astarte, or myself as Kamu Susano-o.  
**Yusuke:** 'Astartie and Susanoie', rather.  
**Futaba:** gdi inari this is bullying  
**Futaba:** just come to leblanc you losers. maya is trying to make small talk and you know how much sojiro hates that  


Ren chuckled. “Yeah, Maya-san seems like… the Anti-Sojiro. Optimistic, outspoken, can hold a conversation and actually pay attention to what the other person is saying? We should go save him.” 

* * *

Ren swung open the door to the cafe, holding it open for Makoto while realizing the others had already entered. Katsuya had been in the middle of a sentence, glancing over his shoulder as Makoto, Ren, and Morgana made their presences known, sliding into a booth together. Ren cast a few looks around the room, trying to gauge their expressions. None of them seemed particularly concerned, so he assumed that things were going fine. Ryuji leaned across the booth to Ren. 

“They weren’t sayin’ nothin’ big. I think they were kinda waitin’ for us to get here.” He whispered, as Morgana wriggled out of the bag, hopping over to Ann. 

"...Anyways. We just have a couple of questions, and then we'll get out of your hair." Katsuya explained, folding his arms. "First of which--" 

Maya jumped in front of him. "The outfits! We saw Ren's, and it was so cool! Is that your normal attire when stealing hearts? Can you show me? Pretty please?" 

Katsuya shook his head. "I don't think it's something they can show us. After all, Amamiya had only found himself in that outfit when he entered the Velvet Room, and it happened instantaneously." 

Maya seemed disappointed, and tilted her head to the side in shot. "...Do you think it's a side-effect of their Personas? A reflection of their inner selves that matches with the aesthetics of their abilities?" Maya asked. 

The rest of the thieves sat stunned. 

"...Um, yes?" Ann responded. "I think that's basically exactly it. Right, Mona?" 

Morgana stared at Ann for a second, before purring. "They're definitely sharper than we took them for. Not amateurs like you guys were." He chuckled, before Ryuji threw a balled-up napkin towards him. 

"Oh... well, that's disappointing. I was hoping I could see them." Maya said, shrugging. "I guess it can't be helped, if you can't readily access your Personas." 

Yusuke raised his hand quietly. "Maya-san. I could sketch you a rendition of all of our Metaverse attire. It may have been a few months, but the images are still fresh in my memory." Maya’s eyes lit up, nodding her head emphatically. 

Ann sighed. "If you do, can you make mine less... embarrassing?" Makoto nodded sympathetically. 

"My apologies, but if Maya-san wants accuracy, they must be accurate." Yusuke replied, honestly. He was met with several intense glares, as Ann pouted. 

"...You suck." 

Maya beamed, shifting their attention slightly. "Really? You are amazing! I'd appreciate that so much! I've been needing to get all of your chat information anyways, but if I could just get yours for now, you could send me the images later!" She held her phone out, before handing it to Yusuke. 

Yusuke nodded, inputting his information, before attempting to return it, only stopped after Futaba snatched the phone out of Yusuke’s hands. 

“Woah! Is this the 2011 model?” Futaba squealed. “Oh, I haven’t even seen one of these! Look how heavy it is!” She continued to mew. Ren rolled his eyes. He had a fairly good idea of what she was doing, as her fingers ‘idly’ swept across the screen. Maya didn’t seem to mind, getting wrapped up in Futaba’s apparent enthusiasm. 

“Oh, do you like it? I painted the case myself!” She said excitedly. Ren blinked, before looking at the phone again. He didn’t realize how he missed that detail. The case was painted bright pink, with childish drawings of rabbit faces decorating around it. The idea that this belonged to an adult was… kind of mind- blowing. 

“Yeah! It’s awesome!” Futaba giggled. Ren knew that there were going to be several paragraphs in the group chat saying the contrary later. She finally returned it, Maya putting it back on her handbag with a smile. Katsuya had been silent the entire time, giving Futaba a suspicious look, before glancing over to how happy her partner was. He sighed, before adjusting his sunglasses. 

"...Additionally, if you could explain how you guys ‘steal hearts’, that'd be nice." Katsuya added. 

Morgana stretched, purring happily. "This is my time to shine! So, we steal hearts via an alternate dimension called the Metaverse. We invade Palaces, which are the twisted forms of the world based around our targets cognition, and fight our way through hordes of shadows using our unique Persona abilities. Furthermore, we use calling cards to create treasures within those Palaces, which are the physical forms of the twisted desires that belong to other people. When we take those treasures, we steal the 'hearts' of the corrupt, forcing them to face themselves and feel regret for their many crimes!" He held his head up high, as Haru gave a gentle round of applause to his explanation. 

Ren gave Morgana a look. They had just discussed to keep those details to themselves. Morgana caught Ren’s eye, before sheepishly smiling and curling into a small ball. He sighed. Morgana loved to flaunt what he knew, it seemed. Ren just hoped that-- 

Katsuya just looked confused. "...That cat just meowed at me for a minute straight. Should I be worried?" 

_Right._

Futaba sighed. "We go into someone's mind via a smartphone, perform Grand Theft Brain, and then cause people to feel remorse for their crimes." She paraphrased. Which… again, didn’t match the plan he and Makoto said, but it was strange and vague enough that he was fine with it. 

Maya nodded, as if she understood completely. "Uh-huh." She said, smiling. Still, even Ren could tell that she was more or less smiling to be polite, and none of their questions had been answered. Katsuya sighed. 

"Well, I think that's our cue to leave. We'll give you a call when you're ready to start training." 

"Yeah, we've bothered these kids enough." Maya said, nudging her companion. 

"Bothering them was your idea." Katsuya responded with a smile. 

Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "Wait, how're you gonna contact us all?" 

Maya giggled. "We can get the number for LeBlanc, and ask Sakura-san to gather you all! And I have Yusuke's number! Have a good rest of the day!" And with that, the two of them exited the cafe. 

Morgana sighed. "Haru was right. They do make a good couple. Still..." 

“Nice work bugging her phone, Futaba.” Ren said with a smile, as Sojiro finally spoke up. 

“You tapped someone’s phone, Futaba? You understand that’s illegal, right?” He gave her a small frown, as she waved it off. 

“Oh, whatever, Sojiro. I wiretap things all the tiiiiiiii-” She trailed off, before sliding deeper into her booth seat. “I’mkiddinghahaIwouldneverbugpeople.” She whimpered, as Sojiro grunted, rolling his eyes before leaning against the counter. 

“Still-” Futaba continued. “She has the most adorable setup ever. It looks like something you’d see on a little girl’s phone, or some kind of super cutesy idol. Flowers, rainbows, and rabbits everywhere. No way she’s a bad guy, unless she specifically changed literally everything about her phone to match up with her ‘good cop persona’. But, you know, ‘press x to doubt’.” 

Ren chuckled, before leaning back. “We’ll find that out soon. When’s the soonest you can start surveillance?” 

“Literally five minutes ago, Mama-mia boy. Speaking of, I think we’re finding something interesting… seems like Little Miss Usagi is making a call.” She started tapping on her laptop. 

“You’ve got to get better at nicknames.” Ryuji muttered. 

“Shut it, Scurvy Man.” 

* * *

Two figures sat by an old shrine, a dark-haired man strumming at a guitar, and a blonde-haired woman trying to idly and playfully kick the guitar out of his hands. 

"Can you not do that? This is a classic." 

"Ooh, _sorry-ia_ for almost breaking your old man guitar, Peacock-head." 

"Oi, Ginko, I haven't even done my make-up yet, so that doesn't even--" 

Their banter was cut off by a sudden ringing of the man's cellphone, as he reached in his pocket and flipped the phone up to his ear. "Hel~lo, you've got the Wildly Sexy, Incredibly Talented, Musical Beauty Michel on the horn. Who's callin'?" 

_"You know who's calling, Caller ID is a thing, Eikichi."_ Maya's voice responded on the other end, with a laugh. 

The dark-haired man, Eikichi, laughed. "Yeah, yeah. What's up, Big Sis?" The blonde woman perked up, having been slowly sliding the guitar away from Eikichi as he had his focus on the phone. 

"Oh, is that Maya? Tell her I said hi!" She called out. 

"Tell her yourself, lazy. Hey, Maya, I'm putting you on speaker." He set the phone down on the stone pathway, setting it so that both of them could hear. 

_"Hey Lisa! Anyways, I have a question for you two. Have you ever heard of the 'Phantom Thieves'?"_

The two of them exchanged glances, before Lisa tentatively spoke up. "Uh... you mean that Rumor around Tokyo? With the people either totally changing personalities or having literal psychotic breaks?" 

_"Yeah, that!"_ Maya cheerfully responded. 

Eikichi sighed. "Yeah, we've heard of 'em. If you're trying to make a report out of it though, you probably shouldn't bother. After all, it's just some new urban myth." 

_"You know how powerful myths and rumors can be, Eikichi. Besides, it’s too late! I met them!"_ Maya added, causing Lisa to drop the guitar she had deftly stolen from Eikichi. 

" _Haime_?! Maya-nee, are you okay? How’s your brain?! Do you feel different?" Lisa screamed, as Eikichi screamed for a different reason, grabbing the guitar and checking to see if there were any permanent damages or scratches. 

_"Oh, I'm fine! Although you might want to turn off speakerphone. This is super confidential. Just-- put the phone between your two faces or something!"_

"Gross, I don't want Eikichi's makeup to smear on my cheek." Lisa mumbled. 

"Likewise. Lisa might get her gaijin sweat all over my beautiful face." Eikichi retorted. 

_"...You realize you're engaged, right?"_

Lisa smirked. "Yeah, and I only want his makeup smearing on me when he's li--" 

_"Enough! Too much! Just- I can't talk about this super openly! Can you make sure that you're alone, at the least?"_ Maya yelled, the two of them practically able to hear her frantically waving her arms in protest. They chuckled between themselves, before looking around the shrine area. 

"We're alone. The shrine has been super freakin' abandoned." Eikichi explained. 

_"Awh… you’re at Alaya? Leave an offering for me. I usually try to come by weekly but, you know. Tokyo. Anyway... here goes. The big reveal is... they're just a bunch of high school kids! And the good kind, that hang out and seem intimidating but they instead just sit around and drink coffee. Also, didn't do the whole 'psychotic break' thing, as far as I can tell."_ Maya said, waiting for their reaction. 

“High schoolers saving the world? Jeez, I thought that whole trope was done with…” Eikichi groaned. “That’s way too much responsibility.” 

"...And let me guess, Persona?" Lisa asked. 

_"Yep."_

"Figures." 

They could hear a shifting on the other end of the line, deducing that it was probably Maya shrugging, before she finally jumped to the point. _"Anyways, we're helping them with training their Personas! And I would like you two to come. With your... 'extra memories', you guys have basically the most Persona experience out of all of us!"_

Eikichi sighed. "Well, I don't have any gigs for a while, and Pop’s shop can manage without me.. I've been needing to take a bit of a break." 

Lisa sighed. "I guess I could leave my dojo alone for a little bit. Although we've just gotten a new student! This girl from the sticks, Inaba- I think. I would hate to leave her hanging. After all, it's been slow, and I really need any students I can get." 

"Could you bring 'er?" Eikichi asked. 

"I mean, it'd be a bit weird. She’s working on becoming a police officer too. Besides, if I'm going to be training kids with Personas, it'd be a bit hard to hide, wouldn't it?" 

_"True... well, she can come if she wants. Maybe we can cover and say it's a... martial arts retreat!"_ Maya suggested. 

"...In the middle of Tokyo?" 

_"I don't know, Lisa! I'm trying to help you out! Just think of something or leave her behind! Please?”_

Lisa sighed, before folding her arms. "...I'll think of something. Don't worry." 

Eikichi nodded. "Guess we're headed to Tokyo. How exciting!" 

Maya cleared her throat. _"Oh, one last thing? I'm going to send you guys some designs, and I need to ask you two to work some magic before you get to Tokyo. It might take a few days, but I'll be so grateful!"_

"Yeah, sure. We'll see you there. Love ya!" 

" _Baibai!_ " Lisa added, before closing the call, tossing the phone back to the musician with a smile. 

They sat in silence for a moment, slowly standing up, before staring at one another. Eikichi spoke up. "So, since that conversation is over, can I just ask you something? ...Did you..." 

Lisa hopped on her toes. "Did we just agree to meet the Phantom Thieves? Yes. Isn't that-" 

"Did you throw my guitar on the ground?!" He screamed. Lisa blinked, taking a few steps back before suddenly sprinting out of the shrine area. 

"See you back home, _Chiny~an!_ " She called, as she disappeared into the distance. 

“I swear to god, Ginko--!” Eikichi rubbed his temples, before sighing. God, this summer seemed like it was either going to be a total pain, or way too exciting for his own good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to say that Ken is basically the 'Kasumi' of this fic but.. well, that's not entirely wrong.


	4. Brewing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitsuru has some concerns. Featherman is announced to make an appearance, and Futaba is excited. Sojiro and Ren talk for a bit.

The room was dim, the only light trickling between the curtains as long nails rapped against the glass at an irritating pace. A woman, dark red hair flowing over her shoulder, and shades covering her eyes practically glared at a newspaper article involving the Phantom Thieves. Her lips twitched into a small scowl. It was several months old- more tabloid garbage, or so she had thought. Kirijo Mitsuru was a woman of logic, planning, and action, and the fact that she and the rest of her team had been inactive and entirely unable to figure out the Phantom Thieves methods or contribute to handling the whole December debacle was an issue. The papers then had been calling it 'Satan saves Christmas'- which had seemed to be an overwhelmingly bad simplification of what actually occurred.

"You know, if I knew our 'date' was going to be me watching you angrily stare at a newspaper clipping while drinking tea... well, I still might have come." 

Another woman, brown hair arcing around neck length, tentatively picked up a teacup, smiling as Mitsuru's gaze snapped from the paper to her. Takeba Yukari. One of the two 'wings' to Mitsuru, and potentially closer. Apparently it wasn't something she talked about very openly. "My apologies, Takeba. I'm just... distracted at the moment." 

Yukari arced a brow. "Uh-oh. You're using my surname. This must be bad." 

Mitsuru sighed, flipping the paper towards Yukari. The younger woman stared at it for a minute, before chuckling at the headline. "I was wondering when you were going to share. Mitsuru, haven't you heard? It's all a myth, apparently." This time it was Mitsuru's turn to quirk a thin brow, apparently unconvinced. Yukari sighed, handing the paper back. "I know, I know. Just... geez. Can't we let this slide? When the Thieves were popular, they acted monthly. Then they pull this big stunt, and go AWOL. I think it's fairly safe to assume that they've either quit or disbanded." 

Mitsuru took the paper back, shaking her head. "It can't be that simple. They want us to believe they've been disbanded, potentially. They may be plotting something big." She pursed her lips, brow furrowing for a moment. "I simply don't trust it. After all, they're notorious, and for some reason the most I've been able to track it back to is one name, and I've been lucky enough to hear word that he's back in Tokyo from Amada." 

"Ken? What's he doing in Tokyo? Doesn't he have school?" Yukari perked up, still happy to hear more information. "Oh, right. Summer break. Sorry." She smiled sheepishly under Mitsuru's gaze. "...And that name is?" She asked, gently nudging the focus off of her. 

"Amamiya Ren. Seventeen years old. Born in Inaba, and sent to Tokyo after a falsified assault charge from Shido Masoyoshi. He gave a testimony taking responsibility of the Phantom Thief incidents, but refused to give the names or identities of anyone he worked with in the process. Eventually, people around the city raised a campaign for him to go free, and all of his charges were exonerated." 

"So, if it's just one teenager, what's the hold-up?" Yukari asked, folding her arms. 

"Like I said, we don't know his methods. He can change someone's entire personality, and was clearly strong enough to defeat a high-class Shadow that was collapsing the reality of Tokyo as a side-effect." Mitsuru rubbed her temples. "If we weren't careful, we could attempt to meet up with him and then find ourselves fighting each other instead. He's dangerous. A mastermind in the shape of a young man." 

Yukari's eyes widened, as she nervously took another sip of her tea. "...Yikes. You've really put a lot of thought into this, huh? I heard the Phantom Thieves were good guys, though. Plenty of people attested to having problems solved via their work." 

"This isn't like your Featherman show, Takeba. We're dealing with a great deal of grey area. Remember, there hasn't been any solid proof disproving that they were responsible for the deaths of the head of Okumura Foods, and that principal. The most we received was a 'heartfelt' speech from the Okumura heir saying that she didn't find them responsible, and that could be entirely due to her being a teenager and being infatuated with the newest trend." Mitsuru snapped back, before pausing. "...Hold on a moment." 

Yukari folded her arms. She wasn't going to bother asking. Bothering Mitsuru in the middle of thinking was like throwing water at a cat. It was only funny once, and the other times you got scratched. 

"Yukari, you're in the newest season of Pheonix Ranger Featherman, correct?" 

Yukari shrugged. "It's more of a glorified cameo. Pink Argus, at the end of last season, passed on her Mythical Down to her successor, Pink Alnair- thereby losing her Featherman powers in the process, and usually just sticks around the home base for motivational speeches and as nostalgia pandering.” The actress found herself frowning slightly. “I thought you watched the show?" She asked, carefully. 

Mitsuru sighed, shaking her head. "You were hardly in this season, I had heard, so I hadn't bothered. Anyways, I have an idea to draw out Amamiya. 'The newest Pink Argus visiting Tokyo for an exclusive signing event'. I can pull the strings to set it up." 

Yukari groaned, leaning backwards. "Those signing suck, though. I mean, I love my fans- although some of them could use a shower- but my hand always cramps up and one time I caught the flu from shaking too many hands." 

"You didn't catch the flu from 'too many hands', you simply shook one hand that belonged to someone with the flu. And we can rectify that. Simply wear your Featherman costume. It covers your entire body, except your face." Mitsuru explained. Yukari shook her head, frowning. "Fine, fine. I'll do it, but how sure are we that he's going to come?" 

Mitsuru shrugged. "We've been tracking Amamiya for a while. A purchase in his name was made towards some curry powder and cat food a couple of days ago, and he's reported to be under the surveillance of Sakura Sojiro, who happens to have a teenage daughter. If Amamiya doesn't go of his own free will, he will probably accompany the teenage daughter to see you. Additionally, he may be reluctant to use his abilities when in a large, crowded space." 

"You've... really thought this through, huh?" 

"Seems so. Get your bags packed, I'll arrange a flight for you." Mitsuru adjusted her shades, before they sat in silence for a moment until Yukari realized that she was supposed to leave now and quickly stood up and bowed. 

"Sorry, it was nice talking with you, Mitsuru. Actually, I had something I wanted to ask--" She paused, as Mitsuru gave her a dubious look. "...You know, I'll just ask later. Have a good day!" She quickly bailed out the room, shaking her head. 

"I can just ask her later..." Yukari mumbled. "But how does she know they're going to be so excited to see me?" 

* * *

**Alibaba:** guess who’s going to go see Pink Feather McFreaking Man because she’s coming to TOKYOOOO???  
**Alibaba** mmmmmeeeee. I am.  
**Lucia:** That seems like fun! I didn’t realize there was going to be an appearance. Isn’t the season still in the middle of filming?  
**Alibaba:** ooOOOO I didn’t know you watched the show too luci-chaaaaan! I was just bragging because I already bragged to my cool IRL friends that I was going. By myself. Like an adult ahahaha  
**Lucia:** I’m sure it will be eventful? Although a bit lonely by yourself.  
**Alibaba:** did I say alone??? ahahahaha I meant with my cool real IRL friends.  
**Lucia:** ...Right.  
**Alibaba:** Don’t be jealous luci-chan!! >:/  
**Lucia:** I’m not! This situation just seems peculiar. Although one of my friends does work on the show. Perhaps I could ask her about it…?  
**Alibaba:** psh yea right and you didnt even know about the signing??  
**Lucia:** I’m telling the truth!  
**Alibaba:** yea right lol hang on my  
**Alibaba** uh  
**Alibaba** roomamte is texting me  
**Alibaba:** *roommate  
**Lucia:** I need to go anyways. I’ll talk with you later, Alibaba-chan!

* * *

"Come ON! I am so excited! Featherman Pink is coming here!" Futaba was clinging onto Sojiro for dear life. "You gotta let me go! You gotta! You gotta! New Gen Pink Argus is like, an icon! She's the Hatsune Miku of Sentai Shows!"

Sojiro tried to pry the younger girl off him. "Come on, Futaba… I said I’ll think about it. You know there’s going to be a lot of people there, right? With your anxiety..." 

The redhead buried her face into his apron. "I knoooow, Sojiro! But this is a big deal! I’ll be able to handle myself, I promise!” 

He raised an eyebrow. “Okay, no. I never said you would be able to go by yourself, even if I let you. It’s not for a couple of days, right? I’ll be taking the time to think about you going if you manage to stay out of trouble. Now, do we have a deal so you can quit begging?” 

“But I gotta beg more so that you can pay for all the merch I wanna buy... my Metaverse money is starting to run out..." 

He scoffed, pulling her away and sitting her down at one of LeBlanc's booths. "Hang on there. I said you could go, not that I would take you. I have to watch the cafe. Why don't you ask one of your friends?" 

"I don't need any of their weirdo-ness embarrassing me in front of the real, actual Pink Argus!" She protested. Sojiro quirked a brow. "...AlrightfineI'lltextthem." She mumbled, pulling out her phone. 

* * *

**Futaba:** hey who wants to go to a very cool and popular event????  
**Ann:** I'm guessing you mean the Featherman thing. i can't, i have a photoshoot that day.  
**Makoto:** I don't think that's exactly my expertise...  
**Ryuji:** that's takeba yukari right? she's kinda hot  
**Futaba:** does anyone but ryuji want to go to a very cool and popular event?  
**Ryuji:** wtf  
**Ren:** I'll take you. I'm more of a Feather Hawk guy, but chances are that Sojiro was going to make me come anyways.  
**Futaba:** i love you so much you have watered my crops and saved my entire ass and life thank you thank you tha  
**Yusuke:** I could come as well. I am very curious about how much of a sensation this 'Featherman' is. The poses they find themselves in are dynamic, and the usage of basic colors in order to achieve a full sensation of the protagonists charactaristics is simple, yet charming.  
**Futaba:** whadda hell???????  
**Futaba:** no you smell like paint pink is going to hate it  
**Yusuke:** I do take showers, you know.  
**Futaba:** ok fine but don't say anything weird  
**Ryuji:** yusuke can go but i cant?  
**Futaba:** why dont u go to anns photoshoot??? be supportive or smth instead of thirsting after feather pink  
**Ann:** (•ิ_•ิ)?  
**Ryuji:** :/ fine  
**Ann:** Great! I'll be in Shibuya that day. :)  
**Haru:** I could come as well ! I have a very old toy from when I was a little girl, and it would be quite the missed oppurtunity if I did not get it signed, even if the actress has changed.  
**Futaba:** of course u can come haru!! u know 2/3 responsible people isnt bad!! i'll let sojiro know!  


* * *

Futaba looked up, grinning. "Ren and Haru said they'd take me! And Yusuke said he'd come too, but mainly Ren and Haru." She was practically vibrating in her seat, as Sojiro rolled his eyes.

Ren wandered down from the attic, sliding his phone in his pocket. "You know, you could have just walked upstairs and asked me." 

"Eh, too much work." 

Ren stared for a moment, before sighing. "Besides, Sojiro didn't even say he'd take you yet." 

Sojiro folded his arms. "Correct. How about this. You help out Ren with some errands for the next couple days, and then I'll decide if you're ready to go to that 'Featherman' thing. Okay, Futaba?" He stared at the girl, before she finally relented, sliding out of her booth. 

"Fiiine. Just wait, Sojiro! You'll be awed at how freaking social I can be! But now I'm going home to check the Featherman forums." She called out, before heading out the cafe door. 

He watched, before Ren turned to look over at his guardian, smiling slightly. "You're going to let her go either way, right?" He watched with amusement as Sojiro shook his head, sighing quietly. 

"Of course. But she's sixteen. I can't just let her think she can walk all over me." He paused for a moment, before gesturing to one of the stools, turning around and starting to look through the beans on the shelves. "Take a seat. We haven't had a chance to talk. Especially with this... 'Persona' buisiness going on. Which I'm still not totally comfortable with." 

Ren shrugged, before taking a seat. "I can get that. I still don't know how you were so comfortable with letting Futaba stay on the team." 

Sojiro shrugged, as he started brewing two cups of coffee. "I wasn't, and I'm not. But... she had conviction. I had never seen her be so passionate about something, well, real." He began, leaning against the counter. "She also seemed- or, seems- happy with your little group. It's not my place to take away her happiness." 

Ren frowned. "There's more to that though, right?" He paused, as Sojiro gave him a dubious look, before it shifted to something a bit less intense. He sighed, drumming his fingers against the counter slowly. 

"Damn it, kid. You're way too comfortable prying into people's feelings." He grumbled. "Wakaba." The older man added carefully. "I... well, if the Phantom Thieves could have discovered more about her research, and Futaba could help fill in the missing pieces, I thought that might be closure for the both of us." 

"I can't speak for Futaba, but I know as a Phantom Thief that her guilt about her mom is gone." Ren said. Sojiro smiled, nodding slowly. 

"I can tell. Thank you for helping her, by the way. Before I had been so afraid of seeing that calling card in her bedroom, especially with the murders..." 

Ren grimaced. The mental shutdowns had reached a public spike around the time Sojiro had found that calling card in Futaba's room. As far as he knew, Futaba was next on the list to be murdered. Ren was just lucky he was so receptive, and they had built up enough trust between each other to stop themselves from being turned in or worse. 

"...Yeah." The shaggy-haired boy muttered. "I'm sorry we tried to keep it secret. It was hard to know who to trust." 

Sojiro shrugged. "Water under the bridge." He glanced over to the pot, before pulling out two mugs and starting to pour. "Enough about me, though. What was it like being back home, if only for a couple of months?" 

Ren scoffed, rolling his eyes. He took a sip of the coffee, before nodding. "Mexican Altura?" 

"Good work. Glad to hear that you actually listened to me all those times." Sojiro said simply. "But you're dodging the question." 

The boy groaned. "Rumors spread quick in Inaba. It's a small town, you know. Getting bigger, but still relatively small. I was carted off because I would soil the 'Amamiya' name, and when I came back I was paraded around as some sort of prodigal son. I'm sure my parents cared more about the family name than me personally." 

Sojiro nodded sagely, sliding a cup over to Ren. He took it, gratefully. "I'm guessing that's why they were still a bit eager to bring you back here. You still had that criminal label, no matter how hard they tried." 

Ren sighed. "I didn't make it easier. I picked up a few... habits. Turning paperclips into lockpicks, getting into places I'm not supposed to. I think my parents finally started getting tired of me when I was found in the Amagi Inn with Morgana without any sort of reservation. The manager didn't seem to mind so much, though." 

"Geez, didn't I tell you not to make trouble? I'm surprised your parents didn't blame me." 

"They did. I had to set them straight." 

Sojiro raised an eyebrow. "Don't expect me to be grateful. That just means I got stuck with your freeloading ass again." 

Ren laughed. "Freeloading? I work here!" 

"Whatever. Anyways, don't stack too much on Futaba's plate. Just have her do a couple grocery runs, or wash some dishes. Just as long as you spend some time outside, and get her back to feeling comfortable around people. She went back into 'hermit mode' once you left, believe it or not." 

"I believe it." 

"Yeah. So, just give her small things to do. I want her to feel comfortable , not like it's an obligation." 

Ren snorted. "Like you?" 

Sojiro furrowed his brow. "Now you're getting cheeky. I was going to give you tonight off, but now you can do dishwashing duty and reorganize the bean shelves." He stepped out from around the counter grabbing his hat. "Lock up behind me, and make sure to feed Morgana, and clean those dishes up too." 

Ren stared ahead blankly, before turning to Sojiro. "Wait- come on, I'm on summer break! What if I wanted to go do something fun? Also, it’s like 3 PM!" 

"Glad to have you back, kid." Sojiro smiled, before walking out the door, waving idly. Ren frowned as Morgana slowly bounded down the steps before hopping up on a stool next to Ren. 

"Should have kept your mouth shut." The black cat purred, chuckling slightly. 

Ren frowned, getting up. "You're helping me, freeloader." He smiled as he watched Morgana's smug expression change to that of horror. 

"You're not the boss! You can't tell me to-" 

"I am the one that feeds you though. Chop-chop, kitty. If we move quick, we can maybe see if Ryuji can meet us at Big Bang Burger." Ren clapped his hands together, as the cat hopped up onto the counter, before slowly making his way towards the shelves storing the coffee beans. 

"...Fine, but if anything breaks, that's on you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a whole lot is going on this chapter, but I also plan to have another one up later today- if not tommorrow! This was a section of the original Ground Zero that I felt like needed a bit more padding, since the setup was:
> 
> > mitsuru has yukari do the event  
> > yukari does event  
> > PLOT
> 
> And I feel like I could have gotten some good interactions happening between characters instead of just... marchingforwards with the plot at the expense of said interactions. Also, establishing some banter between Futaba and 'Lucia', as well as adding some more text-conversations as well as face to face ones, since texting was such a major part of Persona 5 (and also I like chatfic whoops)


	5. Crosstalk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji and Ren talk over some Big Bang Burger. Ann shows up. Yusuke and Makoto deliver some drawings, and try to subtly extract information from Maya and Katsuya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said you'd get 2 this weekend since I didn't feel like a lot happened in 4. And, uh. While it is technically Monday morning for me, it might still be the weekend for some people!

Ryuji was probably one of the closest friends Ren had ever made. Sure, they had only known each other for a bit longer than a year, but their time as Phantom Thieves had made it seem like they were ‘partners in crime’ for the entirety of their lives. Which is why Ren was willing to listen to Ryuji ramble on and on as they sat across from each other at the local Big Bang Burger. Ren rested a hand on his cheek, as Ryuji unwrapped his third burger, getting ketchup all on his tank top. Ren chuckled quietly.

“I still don’t get why Futaba doesn’t want me t’go, dude.” Ryuji huffed, tearing into the burger. “I mean- sure it’s mainly because the actress is a babe, but I’m not the only one who thinks that!” 

Ren rolled his eyes. “You know, you can still go.” 

“Yeah, but I don’t wanna embarrass Futaba or nothin’... especially since this means so much to her.” The blond mumbled, groaning. “Plus, she’s got a point about Ann’s photoshoot, but…” 

Ren raised an eyebrow. He could understand not being totally interested in photoshoots. It wasn’t like he was on the forefront of fashion either. Still, Ryuji seemed to look more uncomfortable at the thought than anything. Still, Ryuji wore his heart on his sleeve, and it didn’t exactly take a lot of prying for his friend to open up about literally anything. Ren watched as Ryuji twirled his soda straw around in his mouth, before finally speaking up. “But what?” 

Ryuji threw his head backwards onto the booth, groaning. “Jeez, I dunno how to explain it. It’s just so effin’ different when Ann’s modeling. Like, you know how Ann is, right? Sure, she’s hot, but she’s also like… kinda dumb, and just does what she wants a lot of the time.” 

Morgana hissed from Ren’s bag. “Lady Ann isn’t dumb!” 

“That’s not what I meant, fleabag. I mean like, I dunno, Renren, you know what I mean?” 

“Scatterbrained?” Ren suggested quietly. 

“Yeah, that! But it’s different when she’s modeling. She started getting all focused and like… sexy? And it’s super weird. Like, I get that she’s takin’ it seriously, but I’ve known Ann for a while, and ‘sexy with intent’ is not one of her normal traits.” 

That seemed like a weird thing to complain about. Sure, he knew that Ann was trying to take modeling more seriously, but he had never seen it as a problem. Ren took a sip from his soda, raising an eyebrow. Ryuji sighed, before continuing. 

“Jeez, dude. You’ve been to a few of her photoshoots, right? I just… it’s uncomfortable, especially with all those skeevy directors and stuff ogling her.” 

There it was. As much as Ryuji didn’t want to admit he was worried about her, that was the exact issue. Still, getting him to admit it wouldn’t be easy. He took a different, roundabout way to get to that revelation. “So you’re jealous?” Ren asked, with a small smile. He watched his friend’s brow furrow. 

“Hell no! Ann’s been flauntin’ it for magazines or whatever for a long ass time. It’s just that… I mean, what if those dudes workin’ there get the wrong idea, y’know? I mean, we’re both guys, and with Ann bein’... Ann, I don’t want her ending up in another ‘Kamoshida’ situation with some dirty, old modeling agency guy. Or some young, hot model guy either.” 

Morgana sighed tiredly. “Lady Ann is perfectly able to defend herself.” 

“Yeah, in the Metaverse! First thing she did was cut her cognitive self in half- I know she’s a badass, but we’re talkin’ about real life!” 

Ren shrugged. “All the more reason for you to be there, right?” 

Ryuji rested his head in his hands. “Yeah, but what if I can’t do nothin’ for her? I mean… I’m me, and she’s her. What if I do somethin’ stupid because I wanna help, and it turns out that I accidentally ruined her chances or somethin’? C’mon, Renren, it’s not like I’m charismatic like you, or have the looks t’back up my denseness like Yusuke. The chances of me findin’ a way to screw up and hurt her more are like… really damn high. If I’m there, and I think she’s in trouble when she’s really not, I could make a big mistake. Or, if she’s really in trouble, and nobody believes me because they all think I’m overreactin’ or somethin’.” He scratched his chin. “Ann is already takin’ a gamble datin’ me already… I don’t want to ruin it.” 

Ren paused. That was… a lot, coming from Ryuji. He looked over at Morgana, waiting for some kind of scratching remark from the not-cat. His mentor just sat quietly, before returning Ren’s glance worriedly. Ren cleared his throat. “Simple answer, tell her how you feel. Ann isn’t stupid, it’s better to tell her that you’re worried now then to try and keep it secret.” 

Morgana nodded. “Additionally, Maya-san and Katsuya-san are supposed to make us more capable in-and-out of the battlefield. You all have already gotten much stronger just from acting as Phantom Thieves, being able to use those abilities in the real world will be a massive asset.” 

“Ryuji,” Ren began. “I can get how you feel. I mean, it felt like I was taking a chance when I started dating Mako-” He was cut off by withering stares from both Morgana and Ryuji. 

“Uh, yeah. No chance in hell, dude.” Ryuji huffed. “The second ‘Queen’ joined the Phantom Thieves, you and her were all over each other.” 

“It was like the universe was practically shoving you and Makoto together…” Morgana added, as Ren blinked. He didn’t think it was like that. 

“Literally every planning session or Mementos mission was just her goin’: ‘Oh, Leader~! Excellent strategies as always! I’m so glad to have someone like you leading us’!” Ryuji mocked. Ren could feel his cheeks starting to heat up. He glanced over at Morgana, who had hopped up on the table. 

The not-cat snickered. “And every time you’d respond like: ‘...Thanks Queen, but I really couldn’t have done it without your help… Your skills on the battlefield are unparalleled…’ like the rest of us weren’t right there!” Ren adjusted his glasses, shuffling in his seat a bit. 

“Come on, it wasn’t that bad!” Ren retorted. This was ridiculous, there was no way the universe was ‘shoving’ him and Makoto togeth-- 

“It was!” Ryuji and Morgana snapped in unison. 

“Can we go back to Ryuji’s problem?” Ren whined, wanting the attention off of him for once. Morgana lifted up his head, looking towards the door to the restaurant. 

“Seems like he’s getting a chance to solve it.” Morgana muttered, as Ann stepped through the doorway, idly talking on her phone. Ann looked around, before seeing the rest of the gang, waving excitedly. She walked towards the table. Ryuji sat up a bit straighter. 

“No effin’ way. I’m having ‘that chat’ in private. Can’t have Mona saying something dumb and ruining everything.” Ryuji grumbled, as Ann shoved her way into the booth, nudging into the booth. 

“What’s Mona saying?” Ann asked, as the not-cat hissed at Ryuji. 

“Ryuji is getting cold feet about the photoshoot!” Morgana said haughtily, as Ryuji tried to reach across the table to grab the small, black cat to no avail. 

“You little-! I am not!” Ryuji growled, as Ann laughed to the side, nudging Ryuji with her elbow. 

“I see how it is. You’re worried because it’s a swimsuit showcase that you might end up embarrassing yourself. And here I thought you’d be all in!” She laughed, wrapping an arm around him. “Big man Ryuji, scared of some bikini straps!” Ryuji turned practically bright pink, turning his head away. 

“That’s not it! I- jeez, all of those guys are gonna be seeing your everythin’, huh…” He grumbled. Ann rolled her eyes. 

“It’s just a swimsuit, Ryuji. It’s not like I’m going to be naked. Besides, I think you seeing me in an all-leather catsuit is way more embarrassing.” 

“Not really.” Ryuji muttered. “Besides, was it even leather? You were pretty damn flexible in it.” 

“No clue. I hope whatever Maya-san is planning for the outfits, it gets made of something better. Maybe with the zipper up front working to actually cover my chest, instead of only going down…” 

Morgana’s ears perked up. “That’s why you never zipped it up, Lady Ann?” 

She nodded. “I know that it had something to do with cognition, but like… have you ever been hit directly in the chest with an ice spell? It kind of sucks. That aside, if you really don’t wanna come, Ryuji, I’m not gonna make you…” 

Ren folded his arms, leaning back. “I mean, if you want to leave her all alone, feel free…” He mumbled quietly. Ryuji shot him a dirty look, before slouching further in his seat. 

“...FineI’llgo.” He muttered. Ann’s eyes brightened. 

“Yay! Come on, it’ll be fun! We can even try to meet up with everyone at that Featherman thing you wanted to go to!” She said, cheerfully. Ryuji mumbled something, practically under the table at this point. Ann turned to the rest of them, giggling. “Man, it’s been a while since it was just the four of us. The original…” She looked around the fast food restaurant. “Uh… high school swim team! We’re a swim team!” She called out, as the two other patrons and the one part-time worker stared at her with blank expressions. Ryuji stared at her slowly sitting back up. 

“Swim team.” 

“I panicked!” 

“Why? Nobody was even pressuring you!” 

“I swear the cashier was listening in!” 

“Quit causing a scene you two.” Ren said, as the two blondes glanced back over to their leader. Ann giggled nervously, as Ryuji rolled his eyes and folded his arms. “Although it has been a while. I was planning on getting unpacked a bit first before we really got to do anything… I hope Maya and Katsuya’s training doesn’t take up too much time. I’d want to go to the beach with you guys again.” 

Ann nodded, giggling. “That’d be fun! It would also help Ryuji get over his fear of swimsuits!” 

“I am not afraid of swimsuits! C’mon, Ann!” He groaned, before shaking his head and smiling at Ren. “Still, I hope it doesn’t take up a whole lotta time too. We’ve only got like, a little more than two months. It’d be a waste if we just worked the whole time.” 

“Of course you’d say that, Ryuji.” Morgana sneered. “Hard work is important! Right, Lady Ann?” 

Ann sighed, twirling one of her twintails with one finger. “Actually, I don’t want this summer to go to waste either… I hope nothing too stressful happens. I mean, I appreciate that they want to help- allegedly- but I just don’t want it to be a boot camp or something.” 

“Ugh, same.” Ryuji yawned. “Speaking of, what’s their plan? Futaba said she bugged them, right? 

Ren shrugged. “She hasn’t found anything ‘of note’. Apparently Maya just talks about neat things she finds around the city, and mentioned talking to some people named ‘Michelle’ and ‘Genki’. Outside of that, nothing. Makoto and Yusuke are supposed to head over to hand over the sketches of our Phantom Thief wear, which… kind of defeats the purpose of him getting her phone number.” 

“500 yen that he’s doing it because ‘phones can capture the aura of his art’.” Ryuji bet with a grin. Ren rolled his eyes. 

“Why would I take a bet I know I’m going to lose?” 

Ann frowned. “Why is Makoto going? There’s got to be more to this visit then just dropping off art.” She looked at Ren expectantly. He frowned, raising an eyebrow. 

“What?” 

“Oh, I just thought she ran her plan by you. Something like: ‘Oh, Leader~! I’m going to try and ascertain more information from our new acquaintances, yadda yadda’. Something like that.” Ren adjusted his glasses, groaning. 

“She did not, but… that doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary. Sae gave her some interesting information. I wouldn’t be surprised if she wanted to follow up.” 

“Follow up?” Ryuji asked. “What’d she find?” 

“Oh. It was this thing called the JOKER case. Like, almost twenty years ago. Apparently Sumaru City- where she and Katsuya-san are from- was attacked by Shadows, and JOKER was a serial murderer and arsonist that was working around that same time.” 

Ann gasped. “That’s awful! I guess that’s where they had to awaken their powers… that must have been so stressful.” 

“I’m guessin’ you think that Maya-san and Katsuya-san are curious about you because of that whole ‘JOKER” thing, right? I’d be too, if suddenly some kid was running around with the codename of a maniac.” Ryuji muttered. “Well, let’s give them some time. Maybe they’ll get used to it.” 

“...Yeah. That’s something I’m curious about though, and maybe something Makoto is curious about too. I mean…” 

* * *

“...Don’t you think they’re awfully… accepting of us? Maya-san especially. In addition to knowing what we know about their history with the JOKER moniker.” Makoto asked, walking alongside Yusuke throughout the streets of Shinjuku. Futaba had managed to get both their hotel location and room number in an impressive amount of time. Although Futaba had shrugged it off as ‘child's play’. The artist paused for a moment, before rubbing his chin gently. She had given Yusuke a brief overview of the situation as they walked… mainly because she found other conversations with him to be hard to carry on with, or too bizarre to keep up with. 

“Perhaps,” He began, carefully adjusting the bag on his shoulder, “This is some sort of revenge plot. All of their dissatisfaction regarding the original case has risen back up with talk of the Phantom Thieves, and when our codenames were leaked online, they immediately snatched up the chance to find closure via murder of our leader.” He theorized, entirely deadpan. Makoto shuddered. 

“I don’t think they’re murderers… I mean, the two of them seem nice.” 

“You may tell the greatest lies and wear a brilliant disguise, but you can't escape the eyes of the one who sees right through you.” Yusuke recited, before pausing to think. “Although that seems more fitting of Akechi rather than Amano-san. However, we mustn't be too careful. As Morgana noted, they may be dangerous adversaries. Subtlety is our best course of action.” 

Makoto nodded, before the two of them quietly entered the hotel, and hopped into the elevator. Besides, if the two adults asked, Her and Yusuke were just personally delivering the renderings of their thief outfits. Perfectly reasonable. 

The two of them approached the door, as Makoto knocked on it gently. There was silence, before two voices were faintly heard talking on the other side. 

_”Wh- the hell? Who could be here? Nobody called ahead…”_

_”Just ignore it, Kacchan! I’m having fu-”_

“It’s Niijima! And Kitagawa!” Makoto called out. 

She could swear she heard him swear. _”...It’s the kids.”_

_”It’s the kids!”_ Came the cheerful echo. 

_”God- Look presentable, Maya. Uh… One second, you two!”_ There was the faint sound of frantic shuffling, before the hotel door finally opened up, and Suou-san stared down at her with a… slightly flustered expression. This was the first time she had seen him outside of a suit and a tie, and the collar on his shirt was… complicated. She leaned to the side slightly, looking into the room to see Maya-san awkwardly sitting on the edge of the bed, her jacket zipped up tight. She smiled sheepishly at the two of them. 

“Sorry, we weren’t expecting visitors. Still, it’s wonderful to see you!” She chirped, as Katsuya mumbled something under his breath, and moved out of the way for the two of them to enter. 

“We didn’t mean to interrupt.” Makoto said, keeping her eyes glued to the floor. Luckily- or… unluckily, Yusuke was much more brazen than her. 

“That’s quite the interesting pattern on your collar, Suou-san. Was it custom made?” He asked. Makoto looked over to Katsuya, noticing the very clear lipstick markings. Her eyes returned to the floor, as she could practically feel his cheeks heating up. 

“That’s not important. What do you kids want?” Katsuya barked, as Yusuke put his bag down on the bed. 

“We have brought the designs you requested, Amano-san! They have been carefully crafted from my memory. I hope they’re to your satisfaction.” 

“...We exchanged numbers to keep this from-” Katsuya was cut off as Maya shot him a glare, before smiling at the artist. 

“I’m sure they’re wonderful, Yusuke-kun. I’ll be sure to get them to my friend as soon as possible!” She said. “So, is that all? You know, we can come by LeBlanc tomorrow if--” 

Yusuke struck a pose, pointing at the both of them. Makoto feared the worst. She took a careful step back, before Yusuke dropped their entire plan about subtlety out the window. “We would like to know about your affiliation with the JOKER case!” He brazenly asked. Makoto thought she would faint. Or strangle him. Whichever instinct manifested the fastest. They had a plan! Or did he just take his own suggestion at face value, and choose to do what he felt was right? The two adults stared at him with disbelief, as Makoto gently grabbed Yusuke’s arm. If they ran, maybe they’d be able to escape. Maybe the two adults would show merc- 

“Sure!” Maya said, cheerfully. 

What. 

“It wasn’t exactly a… fun experience, well- it had fun moments- but there’s no reason for us to keep secrets!” She continued, a wide smile on her face. Even with the smile, that comment seemed… oddly pointed. Did she know they were trying to keep some aspects of their group to themselves? 

What was she kidding. Of course Amano-san knew. She was a journalist. 

Katsuya sighed, rubbing his face. “Sure. Fine. Please sit down. This is a bit of a mouthful.” He groaned, leaning against the wall, before gesturing to Maya. The older woman watched as the two teenagers sat down on the bed, before she got up. She began pacing in front of them, a grim expression on her face. 

“...Okay. Here goes. The story of Sumaru City, and the claws of the Crawling Chaos! Dun dun dun!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: A brief overview of Eternal Punishment for those who made it this far without knowing what happened in Persona 2! Some Haru scenes so she doesn't suffer from 'Persona-5-itis'! Other things!
> 
> EDIT: Re-read the chapter and Ryuji said 'fuck' once. Which is, like, allowed but at the same time I changed it.


	6. Rumors and Accusations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yusuke and Makoto learn a bit. Haru gets followed. Ken has suspicions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're just going to ignore the... very long break between chapters. Move on like it never happened and it wasn't sitting on my computer 90% complete for at least 2 months.

There wasn’t really a… good way to react to Amano-san's retelling. Yusuke sat in general silence, glancing over at Makoto to gauge her reaction. The information was… overwhelming, for one thing. Apparently, the JOKER was the moniker of a serial arsonist-slash-killer who could be ‘summoned’ via cell phones. Those ‘summonings’ essentially functioned as hits, where the benefactor would give the name of a specific target, and the target would be infected with some sort of maddening, demonic curse. One that gifted extrordinary power, but also drove people insane to the point of commiting heinous crimes, and more often than not- suicide.

They had already known that for the most part, although the more mystical elements seemed to have been phased out of the police reports. That was… understandable. The police seemed to be skeptical, especially to the point where Suou-san was forcefully removed from the police force due to his insistence of the existence of ‘Personas’ and ‘Demons’ (which Makoto and Yusuke had generally assumed that’s what they called ‘Shadows’, arguing about the terminology seemed trivial, so neither of them particularly pressed it). Suou-san seemed particularly uncomfortable during that part of the retelling, and a bit of extra prodding from Makoto revealed that the Suou family had already been shamed once on the police force before, and Katsuya was afraid to end up following in those footsteps. 

Moving forwards, apparently Amano-san and Suou-san’s Personas were forcefully drawn from their bodies by the JOKER when they were both investigating the JOKER case. Suou on his own, and Amano alongside one ‘Serizawa Ulala’. Apparently Serizawa-san got infected with the JOKER curse and tried to kill Amano-san in a fit of rage and jealousy. Apparently that was water under the bridge. 

Yusuke didn’t entirely believe that, but that was probably the last button he wanted to push. Amano-san was sociable and sweet. Dredging up negative memories may change that. 

After that, things just seemed to get… confusing. Apparently they were all living in an alternate timeline created by an alternate version of Suou-san’s younger brother, Tatsuya, and a malevolent god-like entity allegedly stronger than Yaldabaoth named Nyarlathotep. The original timeline was apparently completely destroyed, and an original group of Persona-users (including Maya) gave up their memories of the original timeline in order to create a new one. Nyarlathotep was also behind the JOKER virus, which was modeled off the original Joker, who only existed in the original timeline named Kurosu Jun (“Kashihara Jun.” Katsuya had corrected.) 

“Wait, the actor Kashihara Jun? Son of Kashihara Junko? He’s involved with all of this?” Makoto suddenly asked, gently rubbing her chin. 

Maya shrugged. “Well, not really. He was in the old timeline, but now he doesn’t know anything. Which is good, because if he did, Nyarly would win and our timeline would, like, actually implode on itself.” 

Makoto and Yusuke exchanged a look. She seemed awfully calm about that concept. 

“Then again, I think I read that he was married to someone named ‘Tatsuya’...” Makoto continued. “So that’s your younger brother, Suou-san?” 

Katsuya nodded, folding his arms. “Correct. He’s in the police force as well. But… just so you know, neither of them are aware of the whole ‘Persona’ thing despite their counterparts. They have the potential, but neither of them have experienced enough stress in order to activate their power.” 

“Anyways, that’s the general gist! I mean, there’s Philemon, and how we totally kicked Nyarly’s ass, but outside of that- I think you kiddos have a lot to process. Besides, it’s starting to get dark out. You two better get to the train station before it closes up.” Maya pointed outside, to where it was already close to pitch black. Apparently they had lost track of time with all of the talking. Yusuke stood up, stretching, before bowing carefully to the two adults. 

“Thank you greatly for your cooperation Amano-san, Suou-san. I look forwards to working with you both in the coming future.” He nodded towards Makoto, who followed suit. Both of them approached the door, before hearing Maya call out behind them. 

“Wait!” 

The two of them turned around, confused. Maya was frowning slightly. Yusuke realized that she was looking directly at him, and there was a strange sadness in her eyes. For a moment, it seemed as if she wasn’t even really looking at him to begin with. It was… odd. 

“...I promise I’m going to train you kiddos to the best of my ability. We won’t have another ‘Longinus’. I swear.” She said quietly. 

“...Longinus?” Yusuke asked quietly. Maya said nothing in response, before she seemed to shake herself out of her… mood, and smiled brightly at the two of them. 

“Don’t worry about it! The both of you rest up! Have some fun! And next time, just text us. You interrupted some very important business between me and Kacchan!” She giggled, as Katsuya turned bright red. Yusuke opened his mouth to say something, before Makoto almost yanked him out of the hotel room. 

“That’s our cue to go. Come on, Yusuke!” She pulled, before closing the hotel door behind them, and starting to walk down the hallway. The two of them paced for a moment, before Makoto finally spoke up again. 

“...Well, if they’re lying, they’re very creative.” 

Yusuke shook his head. “I believe them. I also believe that what we’ve faced so far was mere child’s play in comparison to them. I do not want to insinuate that we are weak in comparison, but…” 

“Yeah, I get that. It took the power of all of Tokyo to strengthen Ren enough to defeat Yaldabaoth, and apparently they managed to take down something stronger with five Personas? If they wanted to kill us, I’m sure they’d do so by now.” 

Yusuke glanced back over his shoulder. “Well, I suppose we should give them the full benefit of the doubt. Besides, I’m sure they have a lot to teach us.” Makoto nodded, before her phone buzzed. She reached into her pocket, glancing down at it. She sighed, before smiling slightly. 

“It’s Haru.” 

“Best not leave her waiting.” 

Makoto put the phone up to her ear. “Hello Haru.” 

_“Oh, Mako-chan! Are you busy? I’m in Shibuya if you wanted to hang out?”_

Makoto frowned. “I… think I’m going to head home. I just gathered some information with Yusuke, and I’ll need some time to think about it. Find out how to best share it with the team. 

_”Oooh! Sounds fun! I want to be the first to hear! I mean-... oh, hm.”_ There was a brief pause. _”...Thought so…”_

“Haru? What’s wrong?” 

_”...Huh? Oh, nothing, Mako-chan! I’ll call you tomorrow! Ciao! Bye-bye!”_ There was a sharp click as Makoto was hung-up on. 

The two teenagers exchanged glanced, before Makoto looked worriedly at her phone. Yusuke lightly patted his upperclassman on the shoulder, before continuing to walk towards the exit. 

“I’m sure Haru is fine. Just call her in the morning if you’re still worried.” 

“...Right.” Makoto replied, before jogging after the taller thief. 

* * *

Haru glanced over her shoulder. She knew for sure. Someone had been tailing her for the past fifteen minutes. Waited outside of the shops she frequented. She slipped her phone back into her handbag, trying to hide the growing tension on her face. 

As troubling as it was to admit, being stalked wasn’t something Haru was unfamiliar with. Sugimura, her incredibly unpleasant fiance that still seemed to plague her life even with her increased control over the company, often had people try and trail her to find out how she had been spending a lot of her… extracurricular time, and while she had gotten adept when it came to running and hiding from people due to her time as a Phantom Thief. Of course, while hiding was a skill she could exactly employ in a situation like this, sneaking up and ambushing someone with a sharp object was less employable. Well, less legal. She supposed she still had the skillset to do so. And she could get a good lawyer if things went horribly wrong. 

There was a slight pause as she waited in the alley. Her fingers clenched tightly around the wooden board before she swung it at full force around her the moment she heard footsteps. Her teeth were clenched, the board smacking against one of the surrounding buildings, splintering. She noted a small gasp of surprise as her follower narrowly dodged out of the way. She quickly adjusted, pulling it overhead and smashing it downwards, grunting as it missed again. 

Well, this wasn’t ideal. And while she wasn’t some sort of physical monster- she thought she was decently strong. Still, she wasn’t much of a… weapons expert. Even her axe in the Metaverse had been unusually heavy, and she usually had to force most of her weight towards making sure it hit its mark. One more desperate swing before the board was caught with a grunt, and deftly ripped out of her hands. 

“Let’s not try that anymore, okay?” Her follower asked, as Haru finally took the chance to get a good look at the person who had been tailing her. A young man with brown hair, dressed in a uniform that seemed to belong to a fairly prestigious school. He held out a badge that read ‘S.O: Security Department’. Was that some sort of… police organization? Her blood started to go cold. Why were the police after her? She took a careful step back as he put away the badge and tried to give her a warm smile. 

“My name is Amada Ken. I’d like to ask you a couple questions about the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.” 

* * *

Okumura seemed like a pleasant girl. When he had read up on the brief dossier that Kirijo-san had given him, he expected her to be, well… like Kirijo. Uptight, sheltered, and kind of cold. Especially with the knowledge about what her father was like. Okumura Kunikazu wasn’t exactly a model citizen, and when the scandal about his company broke, his reputation was dragged through the mud without another chance to come back. So, with that in mind, he was pleasantly surprised. While Haru certainly seemed proper, she gave off an almost entirely different energy than Kirijo-san. Calming, to the point where he felt like he could talk about anything. Which was good, since he was probably going to tread into an uncomfortable topic for her. After all, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts killed her father, and while she hadn’t seemed exactly… vengeful on television, he wanted to get a personal look at her true feelings. If he was lucky, at least. 

“You’re Okumura Haru, correct?” Ken asked. It was just a courtesy question, and it helped to fill some time as he looked around in his bag. It was getting late, and the sushi bar that they had found themselves in seemed to be dwindling in customers. That was good. The less people that could potentially eavesdrop, the better. He idly twirled his chopsticks, before starting to dig into one of the sushi rolls. 

There was a brief pause before she responded, as she tapped her chopsticks delicately against the table. “I am. Amada-san, not to be rude, but I’m not sure I could tell you much more than what I’ve already told the media.” 

He expected as much. Still, he had a bit more information than the general public. He pulled out a file and started thumbing through it, watching her expression carefully. She seemed curious at the very least, and perhaps a little concerned. She was probably used to people hounding her. “This won’t take too long. Although, you said on television that you forgave the Phantom Thieves of Heart, despite being the ones responsible for the deaths of your father. Why? Did you have some sort of personal vendetta against him?” 

She frowned. Despite her pleasant demeanor, that seemed to wound her a bit. He assumed so. An accusation like that would hurt anyone. “I’ve heard that rumor plenty. I never said I was happy that Father died. I simply do not think the Phantom Thieves were responsible.” 

“And that’s what confuses me. Do you believe there was some sort of other… sect of the Phantom Thieves? Others with similar access or abilities?” 

There was a decent gap of silence as Haru thought through her answer. “I… think… there may have been some foul play when it came to my Father’s death.” 

“Foul play?” 

“Well, when the Phantom Thieves accused Shido--” 

“The Okumura Incident was months prior. And we don’t have any other evidence that the Phantom Thieves are not responsible for the other mental breakdowns. Do you consider the other deaths just ‘par for the course’, Okumura-san?” Ken pushed back, leaning forwards slightly. Judging by Haru’s expression, he must have startled her a bit with his retort. He winced. Of course he had, he had just asked her if she sympathized with the idea of murder. He pulled back slightly. After all, she was just some sheltered rich girl. He’d need to be a bit more delicate with his questioning. 

Haru’s expression hardened. “Of course not. I just think that the Phantom Thieves are good people. They are not murderers.” 

“And how are you so sure?” Ken asked, a bit more smugly than he intended. He reached into his folder, pulling out Amamiya Ren’s mugshot. The Phantom Thief. “Do you know this man personally?” 

Haru stared at the picture for a moment, before looking worriedly at Ken. “...Oh, dear! Did Amamiya-kun get in trouble? There were always rumors, but…” 

Ken… wasn’t exactly expecting that reaction. Maybe something stronger. She had been seen with him, and he was confirmed as a Phantom Thief. He had expected her to clam up, or deny seeing him at all. Catch her in some sort of act. “I… how do you know Amamiya Ren?” He asked tentatively. 

Haru smiled warmly, her attitude starting to take a turn. “Oh, he helped me out with gardening during the school year! He’s always been so polite, and he was very kind to me after my Father’s passing. I had heard so many nasty rumors about him from the other students, but he turned out to be just as normal and shy as any other underclassman.” 

Ken grimaced. Maybe she didn’t know he was a Phantom Thief. That seemed… overwhelmingly cruel. Killing the poor girl’s father and then pretending to be friends with her? 

“Well, Okumura-san… there’s some evidence that he may be connected to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, and I would just like to ask for your thoughts on that.” 

Haru giggled. Again, an unexpected reaction. “Oh, that’s funny! Amamiya-kun can’t be a thief, he was always so clumsy! I always had to help him carry the bags of mulch, because he would keep dropping and spilling them!” 

Either he was on the wrong track, or Amamiya was a better actor than he gave him credit for. Amamiya did seem rather… low-key when they met in the ramen shop. Quiet, self-contained. Was that an act? It had to be. Especially with the flashy presentation of the calling cards. He had this poor girl fooled, after all. He looked at Haru with a pitying expression, before continuing. 

“...So, you have no information on the Phantom Thieves? Maybe information on the other members?” He asked, searching for something. Haru gave him a strange look, her innocent gaze being temporarily replaced by… confidence? Some sort of knowing. The look passed however, and she shook her head. 

“I’m afraid not. Oh, I feel so useless… I must have wasted so much of your time!” She sighed. “Perhaps I could buy you some more sushi? I could afford the whole conveyor if you wanted.” She offered. He quickly declined. That was… too much. It seemed in-line for the sort of offer a vapid, rich heiress might have made- maybe too on-the-nose for his liking. Still, he felt as if he got as much as he could for now. That brief look… he had missed something. Missed a window for a question. There had to be more to her, especially since she had almost murdered him in a back alley with a piece of plywood. She was much stronger than your average heiress- and he wanted to know if that was purely for self-defense purposes, or something else. She wasn’t a prime suspect, but while she was close to evading suspicion, there was still something… more. 

Okumura Haru. Ditzy. Rich. Beautiful. And hiding something. Ken smiled politely at her, quickly polishing off his sushi, before standing up. “I feel as if I’ll see you again soon, Okumura-san.” 

“Hopefully not.” Okumura replied with a giggle. 

“I don’t think we have much say in the matter. Have a good night, Okumura-san.” Ken bowed quietly, before exiting the restaurant. 

* * *

Haru exhaled gently as he walked away. Apparently Amada-san believed her. They had all discussed alibis and excuses if they were ever approached about being close to Ren. Haru’s had been a bit more… elaborate, but Ren had suggested that ‘simpler was better’, and that seemed to be the case. She did suppose ‘part-time gardening club member’ was a bit more plausible than ‘secret lover’, but she had poured a lot of time into that backstory. She calmly took a sip of her tea, before pulling out her phone. She needed to let Ren know. If they didn’t take control of the situation, this could quickly grow into an ‘Akechi’ situation quick. 

* * *

**Haru:** Ren-kun, we seem to have a bit of a problem.  
**Ren:** When don’t we?  
**Haru:** Things have been going fairly well in my opinion. Unless something is going on with Mako-chan and you…?  
**Ren:** I was joking. And Makoto and I are fine.  
**Ren:** Wait, has she said something?  
**Haru:** Mako-chan hasn’t said anything, I was just asking! ( >д<)  
**Haru:** Anyways, that’s besides the point. You’re being investigated again. Alongside the rest of the ‘Phantom Thieves’.  
**Ren:** Ugh.  
**Haru:** Understandable reaction. Anyways, one ‘Amada Ken’ is looking out for you. Apparently he doesn’t believe your name is fully cleared. Or that the Phantom Thieves are fully disbanded. However, I do not believe he suspects me.  
**Ren:** Amada Ken…  
**Ren:** Don’t do anything suspicious. He may keep you in his sights.  
**Ren:** Are you free tomorrow? We might need to get everyone together again.  
**Haru:** That sounds good to me! Have a good afternoon, Ren-kun!  
**Ren:** Likewise. Be safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wrote out recreations of scenes from Eternal Punishment, but those... took a while to write, and it wasn't really effective for a summary. Still, I'm keeping them for later because I did the work, dammit. I'm not just gonna... let it go to waste.
> 
> Also Yusuke looks a lot like Jun, huh. Bet that won't go anywhere.
> 
> Still, now that I've had a considerable amount of time to think about what I wanted from Ground Zero, I definitely wanted the PT's to be more of a confident, conniving force- which I've been trying to convey a bit more. Unlike the original where they're open to trusting Maya and Katsuya instantly, they're a bit more on-edge. Futaba is keeping constant tabs, they're constantly talking with each other and trying to figure out everyone else's intentions. Unlike the other Persona teams, this is a team of 'criminals', so I think they'd be more adept at lying and subterfuge, and employ more heist-like tactics (to be honest, the big 'heist' at the end of the original Ground Zero is something I'm excited to re-write. Actually my favorite chapters to write was in that little section). They're still dumb, goofy high-schoolers, but at the same time they're a bit sneakier than SEES or the Investigation Team.


	7. Gathering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lisa is bad at lying. Chie is a master investigator. Yusuke and Ann argue about of pancake art. Morgana is loud.

Lisa Silverman. Veteran Persona-user, martial arts expert, and technically had two sets of memories. Fighting was something that seemed to almost be second-nature. She had gotten into martial arts as a way to rebel against her parents when she was younger, but she had to admit that there were certain benefits regarding learning how to defend herself.

Speaking of defending herself… 

She ducked out of the way of a roundhouse kick, taking careful steps back as her assailant pressed forwards. She quickly swept her hand to the side, parrying a punch before suddenly feeling the heel of her attackers foot dig into her chest. She coughed, stumbling backwards, before a hard knee struck her jaw, sending her spiraling backwards. She felt herself slam against the ground, wincing slightly. A hand pressed against her shoulder, before Lisa tapped the ground twice. 

“Aiyah! I give!” She called out, as the pressure released from her shoulder. Lisa stared up at the brown haired woman that had her pinned as she stumbled up to her feet, nodding, before bowing slightly. 

“You’re getting good, Satonaka-san. I mean, you told me that most of your martial arts ‘experience’ was just from watching kung-fu movies, but it seems like you’ve practically developed your own fighting style.” Lisa noted. Satonaka Chie. Normally Lisa didn’t take on a lot of students- Sumaru City wasn’t exactly known for its blistering amount of martial arts fanatics, but there was something about Chie that just… called out to her. Once they had met, Lisa could instantly tell that Chie either had ‘Potential’ or had already awakened to it and was just keeping it to herself. Not like Lisa was judging. The power of Persona wasn’t exactly something that people openly talked about. It had faded into obscurity around the early 2000’s, and afterwards had just been the subject of rumors. 

Lisa was still getting used to her own Persona again anyways. During her teenage years, she had believed that she wasn’t anything special, until that boy on the motorcycle arrived. She was younger then, only about 17 when she had been kidnapped and forced to ‘awaken’ to an entirely new set of powers and memories that, while familiar, were entirely unfamiliar at the same time. Suou Tatsuya. Amano Maya. Persona. Nyarlathotep. Philemon. People and things that should have ultimately been left behind and total nonsense to her suddenly making total sense. She was an idol back then too, although she ended up quitting a few years after that whole debacle. Sure, MUSES had a couple good albums, but it wasn’t made to last. Besides, she had found something she was passionate about. 

It was odd. Someone would think that realizing your teenage memories were hardly ‘real’ would just make life more confusing, but it gave her an odd sense of clarity. It connected her to an entirely new set of people. Although it was a bit of a double-edged sword. Sure, she didn’t have to deal with ‘demons’ and ‘shadows’ now, but there would certainly be an issue regarding them in the future, and she wanted to make sure she was ready. Taking on Chie as a student helped with that a bit- and while they had never chatted about Personas (although Lisa had been _dying_ to ask), this was probably the best training she could get. Still, she had to put that on hold for at least a little bit. She patted Chie on the shoulder. “Well, Satonaka-san. I have to go. I… uh, have some stuff to do with my fiance.” 

Chie blinked, folding her arms. “Seriously? That sudden? Well, fine. What’s it all about, if you need to go out of town, maybe I can tag along!” 

Lisa blinked. Most people didn’t tend to ‘tag along’. Seemed a bit inappropriate. Maybe Inaba people were just weird in that way. “I… I don’t think that’s necessary.” Lisa heard a faint buzzing coming from her workout bag, jogging over and checking the screen. Eikichi, speak of the devil. She turned towards Chie, giving her a weak smile. “It’s him. You can start to pack up.” She answered the phone, holding it up to her ear. “Wai wai. What do you need, Eikichi?” 

_”Finally got those costumes finished for those Persona kids. Took me a day longer- especially when it came to some of the costume designs. I mean, I don’t wanna judge, but one of the girls has a cat themed gim-”_

Lisa grimaced. “I think I get the point, Chinyan. The point is, are you done with the thief costumes? I know Maya-nee won’t mind, but we’re a day late, and Katsuya-san might be less lenient.” 

She heard Eikichi snort from the other side of the line. _”Yeah, yeah. Big Sis won’t give a shit, and it seems like Katsuya’s too whipped to complain. The woman is a saint but, y’know, I wouldn’t cross her. Anyways, I made a few modifications to their outfits so they’d… y’know, be at least a little more practical. Got some really weird looks when getting the materials, but… well, I’ve been getting weird looks since high school, so it was no big deal. That aside, we could head out tonight, get to Tokyo in a couple hours.”_

“Hoisamuro! Wonderful, Chinyan! I’ll see you in a little bit, I’ll just head home to finish packing! Bai bai!” 

_”Sayonara. Love ya’.”_

Lisa put her phone away, taking a quiet breath. If Maya was telling the truth, she was a few hours away from meeting the real Phantom Thieves. That was… major. The Phantom Thieves were an incredibly polarizing group, something that she had personally imagined as some sort of dark syndicate like the Masked Circle. A group shrouded in mystery, quietly puppeteering the world without anyone else knowing. And yet, the fact that it was just a bunch of high school kids didn’t seem… insane. There was an air of disbelief to it. After all, the idea of high schoolers saving the world seemed played out, and didn’t exactly result in the best sort of mental state afterwards. After the events in 1999, she was lucky that she found Eikichi to help her cope with the new influx of memories, and the fact that Maya was so willing to introduce her to their own small circle of Persona-users via Nanjo. Lisa turned around, before yelping in surprise, her phone momentarily slipping out of her grasp. 

“S-Satonaka-san--!” She yelled. Chie was a short distance from her, a strange expression on her face. Her eyes were wide, practically twinkling. She was bouncing on her heels a bit, but at the same time, Lisa was picking up the same sort of annoyance that came from an annoyed child. 

“...Whad’he mean by ‘Persona’?” Chie asked, cautiously. Lisa made a mental note that Chie’s ‘Inaba twang’ came out more when she was excited. Lisa clutched her phone to her chest. Was she eavesdropping? Did her student just eavesdrop on a private conversation between her and her fiancee? Who did that? 

“Nothing! Don’t listen in on private conversations!” Lisa snapped back. Chie took a step back, looking more like a wounded puppy moreso than… well, the excited puppy that she usually looked like. Sure, there was nothing good about keeping secrets, but this had to do with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Literal criminals. Lisa knew for a fact that Chie was in school to become an officer of the law, which meant that this was something that she couldn’t-- 

“I heard you two mention somethin’ about ‘Persona’ and ‘thief costumes’. Now, this might be a wild theory…” 

Lisa’s jaw tensed. 

“But maaaaybe--” 

There was no way. 

“Are you a Phantom Thief?!” 

… 

_Huh?_

“Aiyah?! Satonaka-san, that’s a pretty big accusation! And it’s wrong, I’m not a Phantom Thief!” Not like she didn’t feel a bit jealous towards the Thieves. Just looking at their outfits, they seemed a bit ‘fanservice-y’, but at the same time… probably something she could have pulled off in high school. Instead she was stuck saving the world in her school uniform! “Listen, whatever you just heard, forget about it!” 

Chie perked up again. “Aha! You want me to forget! That means I must’a hit gold somewhere! Let’s see, what’d Naoto-kun do… she’d go back through her evidence or whatever, and try to figure out what really works…” Chie started pacing back and forth, in her own little headspace for the moment. Lisa debated sneaking out while she had the chance, but that would be- 

“Got it!” Chie snapped her fingers. 

“Fanna…” Lisa mumbled. 

“First off, you must have a Persona! Don’t even try to deny it! I mean, I always got a sorta tingly feeling when fightin’ you, but like- I didn’t say anything- because that’d be a really weird thing to tell your sensei, and you’re engaged, and I didn’t want to make it weird or--” 

Lisa rubbed her chin. It didn’t seem like Chie was adept at picking up Persona Resonance, but they had been in… relatively close contact through fighting alone. Perhaps their competing will powers started to become intertwined. Lisa smiled to herself. That seemed like something straight out of an action movie! She could imagine the cover now. Two dragons intertwining, with the title being something like ‘Genki Fusion’ or ‘Crossroads of Power’ or-- 

“Sensei!” 

Lisa blinked. “Oh! Um, yeah. I mean, it’s a pretty big logic leap to go from hearing the word ‘Persona’ to assuming I had one, but knowing you, I’m not super shocked Satonaka-san. You’re certainly… weirder than the average person.” 

Chie folded her arms, nodding proudly. “Hell yeah! Wait- what? Y’can’t just say that, sensei!” 

“Too late for that. But unfortunately, I can’t tell you what we’re doing in Tokyo--” 

“You’re going to Tokyo? That’s where the Phantom Thieves are too! I totally nailed this! Been a couple years, but I’ve got those investigator skills at the ready! So. Now that I know you’re like me, we can do personal Persona trainin’... oh, wait… I can’t summon mine. Gah, dammit! Maybe if I could find a T.V…” 

Lisa groaned, rubbing her brow. “Yeesh... One thing at a time, Satonaka-san. First off, I can’t tell you because--” 

“You’re afraid I’d tip off the cops, right? C’mon, three for three!” Lisa opened her mouth to respond. Chie kept going. The girl could really talk when she wanted to- and she always wanted to all the time. “I promise I won’t tip off the cops! One-hundred Percent! My word is my bond! But, on two conditions!” 

“Fanna… come on, Satonaka-san… I haven’t even confirmed I’m working with the Phantom Thieves yet. Jumping to conclusions like that is dangerou-” 

“Condition one! Once I figure out how to summon my Persona in the real world, we’re gonna do a badass Persona training excursion extravaganza!” 

_Ah._

“Condition two- you loan me your copy of ‘Orochi’s Thunder’! I’ve been lookin’ forever for that movie, and you can’t find it online, and even if I did it wouldn’t be the same!” 

Lisa paled. “No way! You’d break it! I spent so long trying to find that movie! Now, you can maybe come over to watch it, but no way you’re taking it home!” 

“But Sensei, how am I supposed to absorb all the cool info just after one ni-” Chie whined. 

“No!” Lisa shouted. “And that’s final! Y’know what, if it’ll get you to leave my DVD collection alone, you can come with me to Tokyo! Get your bags packed!” Lisa began slowly pushing Chie out of the dojo, the younger woman struggling to stay, digging her heels into the rubber mats. 

“C’mon, Sensei! Just let me borrow it for a wee-” Chie was suddenly cut off as she was tossed out of the dojo. 

Lisa slammed the door behind her, before rubbing her temples. Eikichi wouldn’t let her hear the end of this… but, chances were Chie would probably end up trailing her out of curiosity anyways. On the brightside, if she was going to be working with those Phantom Thief kids anyways, training Chie with her Persona would be killing two birds with one stone. “Keihei... “ She flipped out her phone dialing. 

“Hey, Maya-nee… slight change of plans…” 

* * *

* * *

“She did what…? Poor Haru...” Makoto asked, as she and Ren made their way towards LeBlanc. It was ‘Training Day’ according to Amano-san, despite it being a day later than the agreed ‘training day’. Apparently their costume suppliers were here, which meant that they could safely begin. Apparently Amano-san and Katsuya-san worked through all the logistics about where and how, considering that Tokyo was known for being a busy city, and concealing their identities would be… problematic. The costumes and masks could help, but it wasn’t like this was some magical girl anime. A shoddy disguise could only go so far in the modern century, and a few of them were quite recognizable. Especially Ann, considering that her face was appearing on more and more magazines. Clearly things needed to be discussed further during their meeting, but for now, she supposed she could just ‘roll with the punches’. She heard the ruffling of plastic beside her, glancing up slightly to see the gentle, dark shade of Ren’s umbrella over her. She had been so lost in thought that she didn’t even realize it had begun raining. And apparently Ren hadn’t missed a beat when it came to her falling into focus.

The rain slowly began to increase in speed, turning from a light drizzle to a brisk shower in a few short minutes. Nothing unbearable, but at the same time, not ideal to be running around outside. A few seconds passed before Makoto remembered that she forgot to say thank you. She looked up at Ren, giving him a sheepish smile. She had hardly said a word to him ever since he met her at the station. The glasses obscured his eyes, making him even harder to read. She wondered why he kept them. It didn’t seem like he needed them. “...Thank you.” She finally mumbled. 

“Are you nervous?” He said, his voice as calm as ever. “I am.” He added on. She’d be inclined to call him a liar, considering how stoic he could be. Of course, that stoicism always came out when he wanted everyone else to be strong too. He seemed to have been totally on-board with the whole training idea, but at the same time, they were entering into unknown territory. Makoto giggled as a rare expression flashed across his face for a moment as he nearly slipped on a puddle. The moments where he messed up were few and far between, but she didn’t exactly mind it when he stopped pretending to be an ‘unflappable mastermind’. 

“A bit.” Makoto finally replied, as the singular, warm lamp hung on the entrance to LeBlanc became more visible. It had been a fairly dark trip over- hence why she asked Ren to walk with her. It was late- Makoto had to stumble her way through an excuse for Sae to even let her out this late, and even still, they needed to improvise some solution for the fact that the trains would be very much closed by the time the meeting would be over, much more so if they actually attempted to get some training done. Perhaps Boss wouldn’t mind if a few of them spent the night at the cafe? Although if it came to that, she was sure the others would pressure her to ask. 

Soon they were on the front step, as Ren opened up the door for her and let her in. The others were already set up, making small talk. Futaba was on her phone, vigorously searching something. Morgana was hissing at Ryuji. Ann seemed to be arguing with Yusuke over the artistic value of ‘pancake art’, and… 

“I’m not even going to ask.” Makoto groaned. The others looked up, as Ryuji gave the two of them a cheeky grin. 

“Oooh. The lovebirds finally made it, eh? Coming in late, in the dark, in the raaai-- Ow!” He hit the floor, Ann giving him a dirty look. 

“Leave them alone, Ryuji.” She huffed, before looking over at Makoto. “Now we can finally get started. Futaba’s been tracking Maya-san’s phone. Apparently they’re just a few minutes away, so I guess we can get in whatever we want to talk about as Thieves now, and then hear them out once we get there.” 

Ren nodded, making his way back to the kitchen. “Sounds good. Anybody hungry? We might be here for a bit, so I can make everyone something to eat. Your only options are curry and coffee. And none of the top-shelf stuff. Soda for Ryuji. There’s a Manta in the fridge, and you’re just going to have to live with that.” 

Yusuke glanced up. “Ren, I would like to hear your opinion on art made from batter?” 

“What?” Ren heaved a large pot from one of the shelves, grunting as it hit the stove. “What are you talking about?” 

“Would you consider a pancake Pikachu to be on the same artistic level of Katsushika Hokusai?” 

Ann slammed her hand on the table. “That is not what I said, Yusuke! I just said that pancake art might be good enough to be put in a museum! Like, if it was really good-” 

“I simply don’t see the appeal. Pancakes are made to be eaten. Art that is made of food should simply be perceived as temporary, and then consumed.” 

“You’re just saying that because you’re hungry all the time! Imagine if Leonardo di Vinci made the Mona Lisa out of pancake batter, would it be less impressive?” 

Ren banged one of the ladles against the pot, causing the team to look over at him. Makoto sighed. Finally, he was going to get things under control for once. “Enough. This is ridiculous.” He adjusted his glasses, before starting to prep the curry. “You’re both missing the point. Are you putting the actual pancake or a picture of the pancake in the museum?” 

There was a beat of silence, before the group devolved into another vigorous round of arguing. Makoto found a seat on one of the stools, glancing over at Haru who had been quietly watching the group. Well, if the entire group was going to waste their time before things got started, she’d at least find out what she could about the ‘Amada incident’. 

“He didn’t hurt me, if that’s what you were planning on asking, Mako-chan.” Haru said plainly, “He was actually rather pleasant, although he reminded me a bit of Akechi-kun.” Her brow furrowed. “I… think that’s why I would rather not see him again. I know realistically Akechi-kun should be a unique case, but they gave off a similar… aura? Perhaps I am overthinking things.” 

Makoto frowned. Akechi was a sore subject when it came to the group as a whole. She knew that Ren, at least, felt bad for him on some level. The two of them had a… bond. While it wasn’t friendly, they certainly seemed to understand each other on a level that the rest of the Thieves couldn’t comprehend. Still, they had made it an unspoken rule to avoid mentioning Akechi’s name unless Futaba or Haru prompted it. Still, from their brief encounter at the beef bowl restaurant, she didn’t get any ‘Akechi vibes’ from Amada-san. Still… it was worth keeping an eye out for. “Perhaps we can try and find out who he works for? If you don’t want to do so, then I won’t make you, but if you could at least get in contact with him- perhaps set one of us up with him? Chances are he’ll be investigating all of us.” 

Haru nodded slowly. “That seems like a… fine plan. We can discuss it later. Our guests will be arriving soon.” 

As if on cue, the door to LeBlanc creaked open. The group was met by the familiar faces of Maya and Katsuya, and then glanced over to see three new faces. A woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, who was looking around the cafe curiously, a blue-haired man with makeup who was carrying several briefcases, and a young woman with a bowl-cut hairstyle wearing a green jumpsuit. Maya excitedly waved to everyone, as Haru and Makoto shifted over to a booth, allowing the adults to make themselves comfortable on the stools, and for the blue-haired man to start placing the briefcases across the table. Makoto pondered about what could be inside them, before reaching the conclusion that it was probably the costumes they had requested. “...That was quick…” She mumbled. 

"We brought some friends to help train you! This is Lisa Silverman, martial artist and specialist in Earth skills." Maya said, gesturing to the blonde woman, who quickly bowed to the group. She looked American. Maybe partially American like Ann was. 

“Lei ho! Nice to meet you.” Lisa said. Makoto was caught off-guard. Was that… chinese? Cantonese. She had spent a semester studying it, but she wasn’t any good. She hoped she didn’t have to translate at all. 

Maya gestured to the blue-haired man. "This is--" 

"Mishina Eikichi! Lead singer and guitarist of Gas Chamber!" Haru practically screamed, causing Makoto to wince, before quickly blushing and bowing. "I-I mean, it's an honor to meet you, Eikichi-san..." 

He smirked, running a hand through his hair. "Glad someone appreciates my music. Knew I was still popular with the kids." The blonde woman- Lisa- rolled her eyes, before gently elbowing him in the ribs. 

“Don’t get a big head.” Lisa smiled at Haru, shrugging. “Keep the compliments to a minimum kid. The last thing this man needs is an ego boost.” Haru nodded sheepishly. “Anyways. Lisa, could you introduce your friend?” Maya continued talking, gesturing towards the jumpsuited woman. She seemed younger than the other adults- probably around her sister’s age. Although… Sae carried herself as much more mature than this woman, considering how… excited she seemed. 

Lisa chuckled nervously, before sighing. "So, I was planning on leaving without her, but then she caught me talking about the situation on the phone with Eikichi and... I really didn't feel like dancing around the whole situation. Sorry, kids. I accidentally outed you to one more person." 

LeBlanc was silent, before the brown-haired woman spoke up. "No worries, though! My name is Satonaka Chie, and I'm a Persona-user too! Lisa-sensei and I figured that out after she gave up trying to fumble around for a lie. Although, I'm not super great at summoning my Persona in the real world either, so consider me a student with you guys!" 

The group exchanged glances. This… wasn’t what was discussed. Technically, the more people who knew all of their identities, the more at risk they were of being found out. The fact that the charges were dropped on Ren’s end would most likely become irrelevant if they were all outed. Ann finally spoke up, shaking her head. 

"Yeesh, what's the point of having secret identities if so many people know about them?" 

"I suppose it's fine if they're friends with Maya-sensei, correct?" Yusuke mused. 

Chie chuckled, before her eyes widened. "...That aside, I smell something good. What kind of cafe is this?" She asked, slowly making her way to the counter. Makoto glanced over at Ren, who was both defensive of the curry he was making, and the new influx of strangers that had invaded his place of residence, hideout, and personal space simultaneously. 

Haru smiled. "It specializes in coffee and curry! Although Boss seems to be gone at the moment, so Ren-kun is making us something to eat. I’m sure he could make enough to share.” Eyes fully shifted over to Ren, who seemed like he wanted to dive into the curry pot and drown himself. 

“...Sure.” He responded, after far too long of a pause. He turned around, mumbling something about Sojiro, ingredients, and the Phantom Thief budget. That seemed like a suitable prompt for Maya to continue talking, attempting to salvage whatever mood there was. 

“Well, I’m glad everyone’s here!” She chirped. 

Katsuya adjusted his shades. "We had Eikichi make something special for you all." 

The musician nodded, before resting the briefcase on one of the tables, and opening it up to reveal replicas of their Phantom Thief attire. "I didn't get any measurements, so I had to play 20 Questions with Maya about your general builds and kinda eyeball it. Still, I've had to design costumes for gigs, so this was a cinch!" 

The thieves crowded around, attempting to get a better look. They were… actually pretty close, judging purely from the way that they were neatly folded in the befirecase. Of course, this was a temporary status, as Futaba scrambled to grab her costume screaming ‘dibs’, quickly followed by Ryuji, and then it fully devolved into a free-for-all. Makoto stepped back for a moment, listening to the excited cries of her teammates. 

“Oh my god! The zipper in the front works! This outfit is like, 20% less embarrassing now! Thank you, Eikichi-san!” Ann cried out. 

“L-Lady Ann, maybe you should keep it unzipped? Just for consistency--” 

Makoto shook her head, turning to look back at Ren to make a remark about how childish they were all acting, before realizing that in some period between the briefcases opening and the free-for-all starting, he had already obtained his mask and jacket, and was casually preparing the curry in his phantom attire. 

“...You are such an enigma, Ren…” 

Lisa chuckled, watching them all try on their masks and various accessories with awe. "I got the model some of them. You know, some of these are pretty promiscuous. Not like I'm judging or anything but..." 

Ann blushed, covering her face. "Please don't tell me we'll be wearing these in public... if someone recognized me, I think I'd die!" 

Maya shrugged. "Hey, let's think positive! They managed to conceal your identities for that big broadcast, and anyways, the less people know that a bunch of teenagers are Persona-users, the better.” 

Makoto finally spoke up. “Speaking of, are you sure this is a good idea? Sparking interest in the Phantom Thieves again may prove dangerous.” 

“Well, there’s nowhere else we could practice. Listen, Niijima-chan. I understand you might be a bit wary, but we need to train somewhere in Tokyo for convenience, and I’d rather you be dressed up and spark some rumors over you all summoning your personas in your regular clothes. Our training sessions are going to be late anyways, so there’s less risk of people making out your faces.” Maya explained. She turned to Ren. “What do you think, ‘Leader’?” 

“I like the jacket.” Ren replied simply, calmly cutting up an apple. 

Makoto sighed. “Just… let’s all agree to be careful, right? If this gets dangerous- both physically and socially- I say that we should exercise caution and quit while we’re ahead.” She mumbled, before a heavy set of clothing was tossed her way. She stumbled backwards a bit, before holding it out. Her ‘Queen’ attire. It was surreal- sure, there was a small amount of Phantom Thief merch, but it all seemed to center around Joker and his gear, since he was the most visible in the video they had put out. She ran her fingers across the shoulder spikes, shuddering a bit. That was actual metal… this was impressive. Really impressive. “...Fine, fine.” She put on her mask, shaking her head. “It does feel weird to have a mask on outside of the Metaverse.” 

“Hell yeah! That’s a ‘yes’ from Queen! Looks like Operation: Badassona is on!” Ryuji cheered. 

“Baddassona? Of course Skull comes up with the worst name for our operation..” Morgana purred, curling up in one of the empty briefcases. 

Haru giggled. “You’ve already started calling each other your codenames out of habit. I know we’re only wearing masks, but this is exhilarating in a way…!” 

Futaba nodded. “Yeah! I already feel like I could totally summon Prometheus! I don’t know if this is some sort of unknown LARP stat buff or what!” 

Yusuke bowed towards the adults. “You’ve turned my drawings into reality. I have to thank you greatly. I’m sure you can tell that our teammates are excited as well. Perhaps we should spend tonight getting acquainted with our outfits instead, and begin our formal training tommorrow?” Yusuke suggested. There was a rumble of agreement from the others, as Makoto shuffled her way behind the counter, standing next to Ren. 

“Are you nervous?” Ren asked. 

“...Less so.” Makoto replied, hesitantly. “I’m sure Suou-san can keep Amano-san in check, so that we don’t end up in too much danger. Besides… I don’t want to stomp on everyone’s fun. She gestured towards the group, where Ryuji was currently being pinned down by a cheerful Haru, as Morgana was trying to pry a phone from his fingers. 

“I was just tryin’ to take a selfie!” 

“That’s the problem, you moron!” 

Ren chuckled. “I’m glad to be back. The curry’ll take another half hour. I’ve got some movies upstairs we can watch if people decide to stick around.” Makoto nodded, before shifting back over to the group. 

“So.” ‘Queen’ stated. “Today’s plan is to take it easy and enjoy Joker’s cooking. Any objections?” 

“Considerin’ how many times his curry has saved us in the Metaverse, not a chance!” Ryuji yelled, before shouting as Morgana bit one of his fingers, finally getting the phone. 

“For once, Skull’s got a point.” Futaba nodded, before snickering. “It’s almost as good as Sojiro’s. Almost.” 

Makoto nodded, before glancing over at the adults. “Make yourselves comfortable, then. You’re in for the meal of your lives. I suppose this also counts as your initiation party, even though we didn’t steal anything.” 

Maya smiled. “Well, we’re not here to teach you to be criminals. I hope you’ll be at least a bit responsible with your power.” 

Morgana chuckled, hopping up on the counter, chuckling to the Thieves. “Please, we’re so responsible! This is just going to be a relaxing summer vacation, with the added bonus of awakening power you already had. I know for a fact nothing can ruin this.” 

* * *

* * *

**???, TOKYO**

_”Mrrew! Mrrow mew, rrawew!”_

...That was a very talkative cat. Even with the bug set up, she only got the occasional word from Amamiya, and a long string of ‘meows’ from his cat. A set of hands deftly typed across the keyboard, taking diligent notes of everything she was hearing. This could be considered conclusive evidence. Damning, even. Probably why she was so hesitant to go through with this. Her phone buzzed, as she jumped back slightly from her laptop, gasping. She reached out to grab the phone, fumbling with it a bit, before answering. A young man nervously spoke up from the other line. 

_”Hey, sorry. I know it’s late, but I was wondering if you’ve gotten anything about Amamiya yet? I really don’t want to blow it. Kirijo-san is counting on me. Us. This is my real chance to prove myself so--”_

“Just give me some more time, Ken-kun. Counter-hacking one of Tokyo’s best hackers isn’t easy.” Came the cautious reply. 

She reviewed the data she had. So… the infamous Alibaba was a Phantom Thief. That was… interesting. Still, she’d just collect whatever information she could before finally giving it out. She knew they were criminals but… 

Her phone buzzed. She jumped slightly. Several notifications popped up in quick succession. 

* * *

_**Alibaba:** hey u said that u knew one of the featherman actresses right?  
**Alibaba:** i mean hhhhhhh are u coming? I mean just asking  
**Alibaba:** maybe we could finally meet irl  
**Alibaba:** i’ll be with my kinda brother  
**Alibaba:** hes lanky and really shaggy but only his hair b/c he cant grow any facial hair  
**Alibaba:** anyways anyways anyways uhh just lmk and maybe we could meet up afterwards?  
**Alibaba:** maybe a meet n greet personal style with featherpink?  
_

* * *

There was a pause. So. That was basically confirmation that they were going. Kirijo-san would be pretty happy about that. She felt bad but… well, orders were orders it seemed like, and there had to be some good reason. There had to be. She always had one. She quickly typed out a response. 

* * *

_**Lucia:** Sure. Please be there.  
_

* * *

“Sorry, Alibaba-san.” 

She heard a small ‘yes!’ come from the bug, and grimaced slightly. Sure, the plan was just to talk to Amamiya Ren, but doing it in such a roundabout way felt… scummy. Relationships were built on trust, and while Kirijo-san was sure that these people were bad, did bad guys really play dress-up and argue about dumb things like pancake art? She sighed, shaking her head. 

Still, she supposed the ‘Shadow Operatives’ weren’t known for the straightforwardness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aha... I've been sitting on this one for a while, but since I'm on break, I finally had time to finish it and post it! Another chapter should be up in a couple of days too!
> 
> I honestly appreciate the people reading this being patient with me! Each little kudos is literally one more tiny voice saying 'please update this i'm begging u' and every time I feel guilty, but I really appreciate the support! I've been wasting time replaying P5 and waiting for my import of Scramble to come in so I can waste my time with that too. I've basically fallen in love with Zenkichi. He's great. 
> 
> I've been working on a Dark Sun chapter too, although that one is... less concrete. But then again so is that entire fic, so it fits.
> 
> Either way, thank you!
> 
> ALSO: food for thought, is pancake art real art? i spent plenty of time i could have spent writing thinking about yusuke's stance on food art and it was weirdly complex. like... sure, he bought lobsters, but is a lobster equal to a pancake from an artistic perspective? this is deep stuff.


	8. Training Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitsuru talks plans. Ken asks for girl advice. Yusuke realizes something. Ryuji fears for his life.

Sanada Akihiko. Former enforcer and agent of the Shadow Operatives. Former meaning that, while he still had most of the prime members numbers in his phone, chose to do his own thing. While he had taken to wandering the world in search of strength, recent events and an opportunity to ‘normalize’ his lifestyle found him working officially as a police officer. However, a message and mission from Kirijo Mitsuru gave him enough reason to finally start using his vacation days.

The punching bag rattled back and forth, each blow from Sanada adding another mark of wear and stress. He had found himself back in the gym today- although thinking about it like that implied that he didn’t want to be in there. He usually spent most of his mornings in there, taking out whatever stresses and worries out on the punching bags. He was lucky, all things considered. Most of the major buildings belonging to the Kirijo Group had a variety of commodities, and Akihiko was incredibly grateful for the one that was presented in the form of an incredibly well-organized fitness room. Punching bags, weights, treadmills,. Even a full-fledged boxing ring in the center. It was something that most people would have to pay to get a membership for, but this one was dedicated entirely to the betterment of the ‘Shadow Operatives’. However, as usual, he found himself alone. Yukari was in town, but there wasn’t a chance that she was going to give him the time of day to spar. 

Oh well. If they got weaker, that was on them. The human body only got stronger with regular use and exercise, and Personas weren’t much different. The amount of effort it took to summon Caesar was almost negligible at this point, although he still kept his Evoker on him for rainy days. It just felt right having it on hand, even if he didn’t need it. Nostalgic even. Although he could hardly label of the memories concerning it as ‘good ol’ days’. 

“Sanada-san! Do you have a moment?” 

Akihiko looked off to the side, watching as Ken entered the gym- pleasantly surprised to see the younger man in workout gear. He rested a hand on the bag, stopping it from rocking. “Sure, Ken. I’m surprised to see you in here. I thought Mitsuru had you running ragged trying to collect intel.” 

Ken smiled a bit, nodding. “...Yeah. I just wanted to ask you a couple things… actually, I talked with Aigis for a bit, and she said that you did some of your best thinking while working out, so I waited until now.” 

That wasn’t… entirely wrong. He wasn’t close to a conversationalist, and it was easier to focus when he was doing something he enjoyed. Not like he was some sort of workout-minded meathead junkie, but his mind just ran faster when he was pumped up with adrenaline. He was sure there was some basic science that backed that up, probably. He’d have to ask Mitsuru about it at some point. He chuckled a bit, grabbing a worn towel from his workout bag and wiping the sweat from his brow. “Yeah, yeah. Go ahead. I’m listening.” 

Ken found his way to one of the benches, tossing his own gym bag to the side before approaching. “It’s about the investigation. I spent some time talking with Okumura. Uh, Okumura Haru. The daughter of the CEO.” 

“Mm.” Akihiko nodded, tossing the towel back in the bag. “So, what? Did you get anything useful from her? I mean, she’s gotta be a bit rattled when it comes to talking about the Phantom Thieves.” 

“She didn’t seem like it, although she did seem pretty receptive to my questions.” Ken paused for a beat, his cheeks flushing slightly. “...She tried to bludgeon me with a plank of wood in self-defense first, though. I think she thought I was stalking her.” He averted his eyes, as Akihiko looked on with slight amusement. He didn’t want to imagine Ken getting beat down by a plank of wood, but it was a fairly funny picture. He asked the obvious question. 

“Were you stalking her?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Ken’s face flushed harder, as he vigorously shook his head. “No! No way! I’d never! I just had to trail her for a little bit, I was curious about where she was going!” 

“So you stalked her.” 

“That’s not the point, Sanada-san!” Ken yelled. “Anyways, I wanted to try and meet with her again- maybe have her introduce me to some of the other people involved with the Phantom Thief incidents. The thing is… I’m not super great at approaching girls- case in point being the whole ‘almost got knocked out in an alley’ situation. So, Sanada-san- I would greatly appreciate your advice!” He bowed, as Akihiko stared at Ken with an expression that teetered between abject terror and utter confusion. Ken wanted… him… for relationship advice? Advice concerning the relationships between men and women? He was pretty sure that he didn’t clock the fact that girls existed until he was about 16, and even then he didn’t exactly get it. 

“Uh.” Was all Akihiko managed to get out. 

“Please, Sanada-san! You were one of the most popular boys at Gekkoukan when you were in high school! Junpei-san told me all about how you always had a harem of girls around you!” 

Was that… true? Thinking back, he supposed that girls did seem to hang around him a bit more often, but he just thought that they were bored. Or just felt like talking to him those days. He wouldn’t have described it as a ‘harem’ though. Besides, he never really considered himself ‘popular’, nothing like Mitsuru, Yukari, or even their leader. Besides, talking to girls was so convoluted. None of the books he bought when he was younger helped in the slightest. If he was going to get good at it, it seemed more like his only hope was to drop boxing entirely and start an entirely new training regiment on ‘opposite sex conversationalism’. “Listen, Ken, I don’t think I’m the right person to ask about this. What about Takeba? Learning about girls from a girl will probably be much more helpful.” 

Ken seemed disappointed. Akihiko understood. It felt cowardly to back away from giving advice like that, but sometimes being a man meant knowing your weaknesses- and he cared too much about Ken to give him weak advice. 

“Why not ask me?” A third voice rang out. Akihiko looked over as Mitsuru strode towards the group, a decently-sized file clutched in her hands. She approached the two of them, shaking her head. “Sanada is useless when it comes to women. I’m sure the only reason he can speak normally to Takeba and I is that he mentally blocked off the fact that we’re female.” 

Akihiko frowned. “That’s not true. I can talk to women fine, I’m just not the relationship expert. I have other things on my mind, after all. However…” He gave Mitsuru a concerned look. “Glad to see you walking about. Ever since that mission a couple of weeks ago, Aigis said you’ve been pretty much locked up on the top floor in your office. Hell, Takeba said you were practically ghostly.” 

The red-haired woman sighed, shaking her head. “Is that so…? Well, I’m fine. I’ve just had a lot on my mind, and a lot to work on.” She shot a glare towards Ken. “Speaking of, you should be collecting intel on the Phantom Thieves. Yamagishi hasn’t gotten back to me, but she’s holed up in her hotel room, so I’m not going to bother her. You, however, should be actively collecting data. How many of the potential suspects have you spoken to?” 

Ken nervously looked down at the ground. “...One, so far. I’ve met Amamiya too, but only for a short amount of time.” 

Akihiko shook his head. “Lay off him, Mitsuru. He’s only been in Tokyo for a couple of days, and he’s one person. The whole reason we picked him is because he’s both reliable, and around the same age as Amamiya.” Besides, if the Phantom Thieves were for social reform, the last people they were going to answer to willingly was a police officer and the head of the Kirijo Group. Ken and Koromaru being a teenager-dog duo helped lower their guard. Teens were more willing to talk with other teens. 

Mitsuru pursed her lips. “Aigis is designed to look similarly to a teenage girl. She managed to fool the entirety of Gekkoukan for several months. Perhaps we should allow her to assist as well? I’m sure she won’t have any trouble talking to people.” 

Ken winced. Akihiko searched for a way to shift the subject. He pointed to the files that Mitsuru was holding. “What’s that about? I thought we had every available dossier concerning Amamiya Ren, and the suspects.” 

Mitsuru looked at the documents, before handing them over to Akihiko. “It’s mainly repeated information, although I made some adjustments to the plan at Takeba’s meet and greet. The general intent is still there, I just made some slight changes on how to go about it, and wanted to inform you beforehand.” 

Akihiko took the documents, starting to idly flip through. It was mainly repeated information. It listed Amamiya Ren as the only confirmed Phantom Thief- Sakamoto Ryuji, Sakura Futaba and Takamaki Ann as likely collaborators. Of course, those who were close to those experiencing ‘changes of heart’, being Suzui Shiho, Yuuki Mishima, Kitagawa Yusuke, Akechi Goro, and Okumura Haru. Niijima Makoto was only being considered due to spending extended time with Amamiya, but her actual involvement was doubtful. Her sister had been spearheading the case against the Phantom Thieves, and interviews showed that she had been intensely on the trail of the Phantom Thieves for at least a month. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to ask her. 

However, when he glossed over the section that spelled out their mission, he frowned. “...Mitsuru, don’t you think this is a bit much? The previous plan was acceptable enough. Besides, he’s just one kid.” 

Mitsuru scoffed, both of her hands planted firmly on her hips. Mitsuru could be incredibly imposing when she wanted to be- which was most of the time, but he could already tell his assertion that Amamiya was ‘just a kid’ struck a nerve. She had been taking this ‘Phantom Thief’ case incredibly seriously since she had come to Tokyo, but it had become almost obsessive. He wasn’t sure what triggered her to become to militant about it, but he was sure about one thing- she wasn’t just going to outright tell him about it. 

“Amamiya Ren is more than ‘just one kid’, you understand this perfectly, Sanada, so I don’t understand why you want to test my patience.” She growled. “Until we find out his methodologies and who directly works with him, I’m working under the assumption that he can manipulate people’s minds all on his own. That is an incredibly dangerous ability. Especially considering that the book on the Phantom Thieves involvement with the mental shutdown cases hasn’t been entirely closed yet. And if you remember, the only detective close to solving the case: Goro Akechi, is concerningly missing. Despite his credibility being on the line due to the Shido Conspiracy- it is heavily implied that the Phantom Thieves were the one to enact his disappearance. So, to conclude, what we are dealing with is an incredibly dangerous young man who has the ability to kill-” 

Akihiko sighed. “I understand, Mitsuru. I just think that maybe we should have Ken handle the investigation for a bit, and then by the time Takeba officially has her meet-and-greet, we can decide which version of the plan to do. If Ken considers him and any other potential Phantom Thieves as dangerous, then maybe we can go ahead.” 

“You’re usually more confident, Sanada. I’m hearing a lot of ‘maybe’ from you, which seems a bit out of character. We’re going with my revisions, and that’s final. I don’t want to take any chances with the ‘Phantom Thieves of Hearts’.” Mitsuru sighed, before rubbing her temples. “I’m sorry if I’m coming across as ‘crass’-” 

“You are.” Akihiko responded quickly. 

“-But, I just don’t think we should be so relaxed about this. You’re treating this like a game, but this could be dangerous for us all. We need to act quickly and efficiently. Don’t you agree?” 

Ken finally spoke up, Akihiko almost forgetting he was there in the first place. Not to say much though. To Ken’s credit, he had a better idea of when not to pry and when to quit. The kid acted with intent most of the time, and while he wasn’t some mastermind, he knew the value of lying in wait before striking. “I agree.” Ken mumbled. Mitsuru raised an eyebrow, before nodding, apparently satisfied with Ken’s short answer. 

“Actually, Amada, I would like to know your opinion.” She began. “You’re in the target age of most of the Phantom Thieves most vocal supporters. I mean, Sanada and I are close as well, but we’ve had to… mature quickly. Quicker than you, at the very least. During the whole ordeal, what were your opinions on everything? Did you see the Phantom Thieves as ‘heroes of justice’, or as rogue menaces that needed to be stopped? Or perhaps your answer would be more nuanced than that.” 

Ken seemed a bit taken aback, Akihiko shifting his position so that his entire focus could be on the teenager. Ken often had a habit of trying to act more mature than he actually was- trying to make himself older than he actually was, despite none of the Shadow Operatives actually wanting that. The amount of times he had seen Junpei break his back trying to get Ken to do something dumb during ‘work hours’ like go to an arcade, or drag Ken off to some maid cafe in order to meet girls was… embarassingly high. Then again, it didn’t seem like Junpei got embarrassed by much. That was Mr. ‘Operation Babe Hunt’ after all, and eight years didn’t change him much at all. He just got a little more mature and, dare Akihiko even imagine it, restrained. 

That in mind, asking Ken about what was popular with his generation was hit-or-miss. He would either get excited about it, before attempting to mask his excitement behind a poor facade of maturity, or have no idea what someone was talking about. So Akihiko was curious about it would turn out. 

“...I thought they were pretty cool at first.” Ken admitted, sheepishly. “I mean, a group of people that could enact justice by just… forcing someone to take a step back and look over their actions, and express regret? That’s a form of justice that I could get behind.” He scratched his head. “But… I don’t know. It got more flamboyant, more commercialized. The calling cards got bigger, and I think it started to become less about helping people, and more about them getting their name around. Especially in regards to Okumura.” There was a pause, as Ken stopped to think. “It’s like… they wanted to be more popular. That saying ‘bad publicity is good publicity’? Even after being hunted by the police, they still went out of their way to make sure that the world knew they were still out there. I think that they lost sight of their justice, and that’s where I think I could relate… but also where I couldn’t support them anymore.” Ken sighed, before huffing slightly. “It’s a shame too. That mask is pretty cool… I still see Phantom Thief merch around Gekkoukan.” 

Akihiko nodded. A brilliant answer as always. “I get that. And, while I think we should hear Mr. ‘Phantom Thief’ out, I don’t think we should get too lax either. That last big calling card- the one to Shido Masayoshi. He said something about ‘taking this country’.” Akihiko leaned forwards, scratching his chin. “What does that mean? I’m not a fan of 4D chess, betrayals, and back stabbings- it’s too complicated for me. People should just say and do what they mean. But… what if the Shido conspiracy was just one part of something larger? Shido goes down, the Phantom Thieves take down a massive villainous powerhouse, and now there’s a void. The Phantom Thieves’ biggest adversary is marked as a psychopathic fraud, and now they can do what they want. I mean, I don’t think- I don’t _hope_ it’s anything that major, but should we really just… leave it be? At the very least we should have a talk with the kid.” 

“So we’re in agreement. As far as our overall goals go.” Mitsuru stated. “Our operation to contact the Phantom Thief begins in a couple of days. Do what you need to prepare, Sanada. You’ve read the dossier.” She glanced at Ken. “Gather what information you can. Even if it’s mundane, it can still be useful. I may have Aigis accompany you as well. Both of you can’t let me down.” She finished, before turning and strutting out of the gym, leaving the two men to their own devices. 

“Kirijo-san seems a bit tense.” Ken finally spoke, after a brief beat of silence between the two of them. 

“She’s always tense.” Akihiko mumbled. “But yeah, things are different. It seems like this Phantom Thief kid is really getting under her skin.” 

“You mentioned something about a mission a couple of weeks ago. What exactly happened? Do you think it has something to do with this?” 

Akihiko shrugged. “I don’t know much. According to Aigis, there was some shadow activity in some ghost town- you know how it is. Just because the Dark Hour is gone doesn’t mean shadow junk stops. You remember the mess with the Inaba Persona-Users. Either way, she went down, and then went radio silent for about an hour. Next day, she came back empty-handed, irritable, and shoved herself in the penthouse of the building. Talking to her is nigh-impossible. Or, has been.” 

“Right…” Ken nodded. “I think that’s the first time I’ve seen her since coming to Tokyo. Just a bunch of phone calls.” His eyes widened a bit. “Do you think it’s a ‘change of heart’?” 

Akihiko chuckled. “Doubt it. While we all have our fair share of skeletons in our closet, Mitsuru isn't some genius evil mastermind. While I don’t know what happened on that mission, maybe it was just a blow to her ego. Either way, she’ll open up when she opens up.” That was… just how things were. Mitsuru wasn’t known for laying everything out, or having her heart on her sleeve. And that’s just how Akihiko accepted it. He had to trust in her- and she had to trust in him. “...Anyways, that’s enough of that. You want to spar for a bit, Ken? It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to challenge myself, and from what I remember, you’re a pretty formidable fighter.” He smirked. “Unless high school softened you up a bit.” 

Ken nodded. “You’re on, Sanada-san! I won’t disappoint you!” 

Perfect. Akihiko pulled his Evoker out from his gym bag, tossing it to the younger man. Ken was good, but he still needed that extra push to summon his Persona. He hopped into the boxing ring at the center of the gym, focusing. “Loser has to treat the winner to ramen, got it? That’s why I’m making it fair. Show me what Kala-nemi has!” 

Ken followed behind, climbing into the ring. “Don’t get so cocky, Sanada-san. If you must know, I’ve been practicing with Koromaru.” He held the Evoker to his head, finger resting on the trigger. 

“I’m expecting great things from you, Ken. Now, on three.” His body tensed, as he started to feel the energy surging through his body. Evokers forced the user into feeling a near-death experience, causing the heart-rate to shoot up, adrenaline coursing through the body, and the primal need to defend oneself becoming the only thing at hand in the moment, practically yanking the Persona out of the body. Each gunshot was terrifying, something he had never gotten used to- even after the years he had been part of SEES. Summoning without a Persona was similar. At least for him. He just imagined that every fight was life-or-death, that he needed to fight like everything was hinging on his victory. Sure, this was just for fun, but fighting each battle like it was your last was essential for training. He was sure that Ken felt the same way. 

“One...” 

He watched Ken’s trigger-finger twitch. 

“Two...” 

A blue mist began to slowly overtake Akihiko. The barrel of the Evoker pressed firmly into Ken’s head. Akihiko could see the sweat starting to bead on the boy’s forehead, his breathing starting to pick up. The tension already forming in his face. 

“Three!” 

_Bang._

* * *

* * *

“So, Maya-san. Where are we going?” Futaba asked, as the group- along with Maya and Katsuya- was crowded into a subway car. As far as Ren knew, this was the last one of the night. Which… probably meant that they were going to need to find a taxi to get home. Unless part of Maya’s training involved walking all the way back to LeBlanc, which was… well, a horrible idea. Tokyo was massive, and there was no way in hell she was going to convince them to practically walk several marathons. Still, it was late, which meant that there weren’t as many people on. So they could talk in relative peace, although he hoped that the words ‘Phantom Thief’ and ‘Persona’ kept out of their conversation. 

“Yoyogi Park! It’s near Shibuya, and pretty large. We should have enough space to set up, and get your training started.” Maya stated cheerfully. “That’s fine with you guys, right?” 

“I suppose so…” Yusuke mumbled. “It is very late, so the chances of others actively watching us is rare. I suppose we may also have the privacy to get changed and practice on our own. But Yoyogi is open for 24 hours. We’ll have to act carefully.” 

Ren nodded quietly, idly staring out the window of the subway with Morgana resting on his lap. Part of him passively wondering what would happen if he changed clothes in the Velvet Room. To everyone else, whenever he went inside it was just like he zoned out for a few moments, so would his clothes just… instantly change once he left the Velvet Room? He clicked his tongue, as he slowly focused back in on the conversation, watching as Morgana was proudly talking on his lap. Well, as proudly as he could while sticking his head out of a bag. 

“...We’ll need to express caution. I suppose Maya-san and Suou-san have a plan set up, but at this point we’ll need to put some effort on our end as well.” He mewed, as Ren glanced over to the side, watching as one of the passersby started to look over at the sound of Morgana’s… Morgana-ing. Ren slowly began pushing Morgana back into the bag, as the not-cat began to whine. “Wait- Ren- I’m trying to talk- Ren..!” 

“Speaking of expressing caution, maybe don’t make yourself so obvious.” He stated calmly. 

Makoto frowned. “Actually, I think pets around Morgana’s size are allowed. Let him out, Ren.” 

Ren zipped up the bag, before blankly looking over at Makoto. “Hm?” 

The bag shuffled around in his lap, as Morgana struggled to get out with muffled, irritated hisses. 

Ryuji chuckled. “Hah, Mona is pissed. Maybe he’ll get so worked up that he summons his Persona on the subway. That’ll save us some time, at least.” 

The bag threw itself onto the floor of the subway, a tiny set of claws puncturing the bag. “Morgana.” Ren said, trying to pick it up, as it continued to wriggle across the floor of the subway. “Morgana stop- Morgana- please- you’re making a scene- don’t do this to me-” This was awful. Ren was finally learning that his actions had consequences, and those consequences came in the form of an angry cat screaming on a normally quiet subway. He finally managed to wrangle the bag, watching it continue to squirm and writhe as he finally unzipped the bag. Morgana flung himself out, throwing himself at Ryuji as the two of them began to struggle. 

“I’ll show you ‘pissed’, Ryuji!” Morgana screeched. Ryuji screamed, as they both ended back up on the floor, and Ann and Makoto desperately attempted to pry them apart. 

Katsuya groaned, before looking over at Ren. “...Are you all like this normally?” 

He could only nod in response, before snapping his fingers at the two of them. “Come on, you two. You’re making us look bad in front of the adults.” 

Ryuji pried Morgana off his face, shooting Ren a look. “You’re the one that shoved the cat in a bag!” 

“I’m not a cat!” 

“We’re at our stop!” Maya called out, as the subway crawled to a halt, and the doors opened. Morgana huffed, hopping onto Ann’s shoulders. Ren got the sneaking suspicion that Morgana was mad at him. 

“Morgana-” 

“I can’t believe you shoved me in there like that!” Morgana cried as the group made their way onto the subway platform. 

Ren scratched his head. “That’s my bad. I guess I got so used to having to sneak you around places, that it just became a habit.” 

“It’s a bad habit, Ren!” 

“I’ll buy you some fatty tuna tomorrow if you forgive me.” 

There was a beat as the two of them stared at each other, before Morgana happily hopped from Ann’s shoulders to Ren’s. “Add some anago too and we’re square.” 

Another beat of silence as Ren mentally counted how much yen he had left. Still, he’d rather spend some extra pocket change then have Morgana give him the stink eye for an undetermined amount of time. Besides, it would definitely get in the way of training if Morgana had an attitude the entire time. He sighed, before nodding. 

“Nyaha! You know I could never stay mad at you, Ren!” Morgana cheered, nuzzling into Ren’s neck. 

The walk to Yoyogi was relatively uneventful, mainly filled with various members of the group asking what Maya had planned, and Maya coyly not providing any direct answers. They soon set foot in the park, relieved to see it was relatively empty. They spotted Lisa, Eikichi, and Chie waiting by a relatively open section of the park, the briefcases with their thief costumes laid out on the ground. 

“About time.” Eikichi grinned. “We were gettin’ antsy. Any longer, and Satonaka-san and Ginko were gonna start playing dress-up with your little costumes.” Ren smiled, before walking towards the set of briefcases, picking up his mask. It was a weird feeling. He knew that it was just a piece of plastic like this, there wasn’t any real power to it. But at the same time, he felt stronger just holding it. He slowly took off his glasses, sliding them in his pocket, before placing the mask on his face. He waited a moment, taking a breath, expecting one of the calming mantras that he had heard from countless Personas over the past year. 

_I am thou._

_I am in your care._

_ME EAT YOU WHOLE._

A beat passed, before he realized nothing was going to happen. He sighed, before turning back the group, who had been staring at him the entire time. Ryuji chuckled. 

“That’s our leader for you. Dramatic as always.” 

Ren’s eyes widened a bit, before he averted his gaze nervously, grabbing the rest of his outfit. “Find somewhere to get changed. I don’t know how long we’re going to be out here, but let’s make it quick.” He looked around. The guys would probably have… less of an issue. He shrugged, before walking off to get changed. 

“Aw, you embarrassed him, Ryuji!” He could hear Ann comment in the background. 

“Sorry! I thought it was funny! I’m sure Ren isn’t like… mad or anything.” 

“He’s not, but now he’s gonna try and act twice as cool to make up for it. You know how he gets.” 

...Was he really like that? Actually, that wasn’t far from the truth. He had been described as a ‘showoff’ several times over, and well- 

Whatever. He was definitely going to do some Persona-summoning backflips. 

The group dispersed for a few a while to change, as Ren found himself a quiet, secluded spot by the lake. He had never had to ‘put on’ his Phantom Thief attire before, but he was thankful that his was a bit more traditional compared to the skintight bodysuits some of his teammates had to put on. He also didn’t realize that he basically wore dress shoes throughout his entire thieving career. He finished fashioning the cufflinks on his jacket, before hopping to his feet, looking at his reflection in the lake. It rippled calmly, memories of the Metaverse Navigator surfacing. 

“Looking cool, Joker.” 

He turned around, smiling a bit as Morgana leapt down from a tree- a tiny black bandanna around his head, and a yellow neckerchief around his neck. 

“Not bad, Mona.” Ren replied, popping the collar on his jacket. “They let you get dressed yourself, or did they trip over themselves for a chance to play ‘cat dress-up’?” 

Morgana grimaced, shaking his head. “It was embarrassing. I got pulled into at least three laps before I had to start biting and heading off on my own. I can pick locks! And clearly I can put on some bandannas on my own.” 

Joker knelt down, adjusting Morgana’s scarf with a chuckle. “It’s crooked.” 

“You’re lucky I like you. You’re the only one who I’d let manhandle me like this.” 

Ren laughed, allowing Morgana to hop onto his shoulders as he headed back towards the meeting spot. The group had slowly begun to fill in, for some reason, Futaba seemed to have been the fastest, followed by Ryuji, the two of them quietly making bets about who would make it there next. Haru was calmly talking to the adults. Makoto and Ann finally arrived together, both of them looking… a bit more than self-conscious. He could get that. Ann’s outfit didn’t leave a whole lot to the imagination, and Makoto’s was only a bit more covered. Plus it had spikes. Ren wanted his outfit to have spikes ever since he saw ‘Queen’, but after several attempts to shift his cognition- and outfit alongside it- there was no dice. 

Still, Akechi could obviously do it, so maybe it was more of a practice thing. 

Whatever. The ‘Gentleman Thief’ look fit him. It was classy. Maya finished her chat with Haru, finally looking over Ren’s way with an excited gasp. “There he is! The man of the hour! You look so handsome! And you stopped slouching.” 

That reaction was probably warranted. As far as the Phantom Thieves went, he was the most identifiable. His face- or at least his mask- had been on every television screen in Tokyo- and later on in every novelty gift shop in Tokyo. People theorized what he looked like purely from the darkened silhouette of the calling card too (and some of them were scarily accurate. Either misjudging his height, or hair color, or age). He smiled a bit, before looking over everyone. 

“Looking good, team. Where’s Yusuke?” 

There was a quick moment where everyone looked around, before finally seeing Yusuke aimlessly wandering back the group, before spotting and excitedly jogging towards Joker. 

“Leader! Were you aware that my costume had a tail?” 

Ren stared for a moment, before starting to chuckle. It was impossible to _not_ notice Yusuke’s tail. Especially considering how often it wagged- which was a question in and of itself- when they managed to find treasure in a Palace. He shook his head, before calmly passing Yusuke, standing in the middle of the group. 

Katsuya folded his arms. “That laugh is absolutely chilling. You’re much more intimidating when dressed like that, Amamiya-kun. But now that you’re all here, I want to make a few things absolutely clear. We are not training you to be thieves again. We’re training you because…” He paused, before looking over at Maya. “Well, I’m sure Maya has her reasons. Either way, we want you to take this seriously. Personas aren’t toys. They’re more than ‘cool powers’ that-” 

“We’re well aware of that, Suou-san.” Haru interrupted, adjusting her hat. “With all due respect, we have learned that this is not a job or a power we can take lightly.” 

“These Personas are our strength. If we were any lesser, we would have been consumed by our negative emotions, correct? And that’s an outcome that you would rather avoid. For us to be unprepared and swallowed by our ‘shadows’.” 

Chie finally spoke up, nodding. “I’ve seen people’s Shadows. Seen people get consumed by all those bad feelings welling up inside them. It’s not an easy thing to face.” She paused, before shaking her head. “But you’ve already done the hard part, yeah? Now it’s just pulling that power back out!” 

Katsuya nodded. “You’ve done the hard part. So, now all you need to do is activate it again. And from personal experience, stress is the best way to do that.” He looked over at Lisa, nodding calmly. 

Lisa nodded, before stepping forwards. She dug her heels into the ground, focusing before a blue light surrounded her. "Come, Venus!" A shimmering blue form rose from behind Lisa, splaying her arms upwards into the air as if praising the sun. It was lithe, in an outfit reminiscent of an ice skater, several bubble-like formations covering it's wrists, shoulders, chest, and waist. It's head was encased in a shell-like helmet, as it slowly turned it's way towards the group, gesturing like an actress wishing for surprise. It’s voice rang across the quiet park. 

_"I am Venus, the eternal goddess of love. Thou hast summoned I, and so thine will shall be exerted..."_

Yusuke’s eyes practically glistened. "Such beauty encapsulated in a Persona! I can't wait to see what feminine beauties are represented in it's skill set!" Yusuke gasped, before Lisa clenched her fists. The ground started to rumble around them. 

"Now! Mamagnadyne!" She screamed, as the elegant Persona slammed it's fist into the ground with a deafening roar, and the earth around them began erupting into the air, forming an arena-like formation around them. It had to be at least fifteen feet high. Ren whistled, impressed. 

Haru frowned. "Won't this cause permanent damage to the park?" She asked. Lisa shook her head. 

"I can get rid of it when we're done. Depending on how often this happens, it might leave a bit of a ring, but that’s nothing. Don't worry. Now, let's get to training! We'll start with laps before getting to what Katsuya has planned! Personas are built from the mind, but an extremely healthy mind comes from a healthy body, and while you don't need to be bodybuilders, you need to be in decent shape to keep up!" 

Chie was already bouncing on her toes. "Follow me! Let's get in three easy ones for now, and then we can really get it going!" 

Ryuji mumbled something about his leg, as Ann gave him a worried glance. 

"I can shrug it off. Don't worry, I'll just lag behind the rest of the pack for a bit." He gave her a reassuring smile, before stretching, and the teens began running to catch up with Chie. 

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, they had finished their ‘easy’ warm-up. Ren, Morgana, Makoto, and Ryuji watched as the others were practically gasping for air. Futaba drearily attempted to climb out of the rock arena with a whimper. The key word being ‘attempted’. She barely made it half a foot. 

“They’re… trying to… kill us… noo-oo…” She whined. 

“Can’t breathe… I think I’m dying…” Ann groaned, curling into a ball. 

“I promise… I can keep going!” Haru gasped, struggling up to her feet. 

Yusuke didn’t even have the strength to speak, sprawled out dramatically on the ground like someone acting out a death scene in a Kabuki show. Ren sighed, glancing towards Lisa-sensei and Chie, who both seemed… marginally disappointed that only half of the Phantom Thieves survived the warm up. A little more than half, considering Haru was at least making an attempt. 

“Haime... These guys are Phantom Thieves…?” Lisa muttered. Morgana quickly jumped to their defense. 

“Their physical abilities were heightened in the Metaverse! You can’t expect them to be doing flips off of buildings, or--” Ren gently patted Morgana’s head. 

“They can’t understand you, Mona.” 

“...Right. Sorry.” 

Ren turned to face the adults, folding his arms. “They’re not as strong as they are in the Metaverse. You’ll have to cut them a bit of slack.” He translated, before Morgana nudged him. 

“Let them know that they’ll gain some extra physical ability once they can summon their Personas! Maybe.” 

He nodded, before continuing. “Mona also says that they’ll probably be more impressive once they summon their Personas.” That made a bit of sense. He noticed a change in his own strengths and weaknesses depending on the Persona he was currently using. He felt a lot faster and stronger using Cybele or Metatron than using a Persona like Slime or Jack Frost. He supposed it was a Metaverse thing, but it might apply to the real world too. 

“Jeez, just because you were an idol doesn’t mean you can coach them like they are.” Maya smiled, nodding. “Think positive, Lisa! I have faith in these kids! Give them a second to catch up, and then we can get started for real!” 

Lisa nodded, before clapping her hands. “Fine then. Take five. Eikichi, if they’re not up in a bit, splash them with an aquadyne or something.” 

Makoto rubbed her chin. “...Aquadyne? I’m afraid I haven’t heard of a spell like that. I didn’t ask about ‘Earth skills’ either, Lisa-sensei. We hadn’t encountered anything like those back in the Metaverse. Only fire, ice, lightning, wind, psychic, light, dark, and nuclear.” 

Eikichi frowned. “Really? Huh. I recognize all of those but psychic. Guess the demons where you fought just had a different skill preference?” 

Chie gaped. “Wait- psychic? Nuclear? Those sound badass! We just had ice, fire, lighting, wind, and the light/dark stuff!” 

“Makoto-chan is a nuclear Persona-user, just like Katsuya!” Maya said, grinning. “Although… who's the psychic one? I wanna see what they’re made of!” 

Haru meekly raised her hand, having recovered and slowly making her way towards the group. “I am. I never thought it was anything unique, though…” 

Maya rolled her eyes, before clasping her hands together. “Have some confidence, Haru-chan! Now, is everyone ready to actually start?” 

Ren nodded. “Give Futaba a break for today, please. Everyone else, let’s go.” He turned back, gesturing towards the center of the arena. Ann and Yusuke crawled over to the rest of the group, still winded. “So… Suou-san, you mentioned that the best way to summon a Persona was via stress.” 

“We were set on fire by a demon summoned by a deranged serial killer, for a frame of reference.” The older man explained calmly. “We had played the Persona Game several years prior, so the potential was there. I played it when I was a boy with my younger brother.” 

Ren rubbed his chin. “I awakened to Arsene because I refused to be pushed around anymore. I wanted to rebel, and so I rebelled.” 

Haru nodded. “Mine came to me before out of a need to help fight with Mona-chan, but I didn’t really awaken to my true power until I realized that I needed to follow my own path in life.” 

“Holy shit.” Ryuji mumbled. “So it’s either stress, a game, or bein’ able to stand up for yourself?” 

Chie chuckled, scratching her head. “Guess I had it easy, huh? I kinda… passed out as my friends fought my Shadow, and then just… accepted it afterwards.” 

Maya chuckled. “That works too. So, who’s first?” 

“First?” Ryuji asked. “Whadd’ya mean, Maya-sensei?” 

“You need to experience a stressful situation. And that’s best solved through combat.” Maya slowly walked towards the center of the arena, before turning to face the group. “We don’t have any demons to command on hand…” Her eyes flashed yellow, before glowing a brilliant blue, as a blue mist began to swirl around her body. Suddenly, a wall of ice shot up between Ryuji and the rest of the Phantom Thieves, before another wall of ice slowly began pushing him to the center closer to Maya. Ren slammed his fist against the wall, realizing it was too thick to break. 

“No! Ryuji!” Ann screamed. 

“Wait- what the hell?! For real?! Guys-” Ryuji yelled, before the ice wall suddenly stopped, sending him stumbling forwards. 

A form began to materialize behind Maya, Ren’s eyes narrowed, as Morgana’s claws began to dig into his shoulders. 

“That’s not Artemis…” Ann whispered. 

“Wait… that ability...” Ren muttered. 

“Is she insane…?!” Yusuke grunted. 

“She had no intent on showing us her true power back at LeBlanc...” Haru gasped. 

“Ryuji!” Morgana leaned forwards, yelling. “Stay on guard! She can use multiple Personas!” 

Maya threw one of her arms upwards, as a snake-like Persona with glistening white scales burst forth along with a pillar of blue light, coiling into the air as colorful, vibrant wings spread from it’s back. It let out a screech, before hovering in the air. Ryuji stumbled in front of her, before a segment of stone, about twenty feet in diameter, formed a circular platform under the two of them, and rose about five feet in the air. Ren looked over at Lisa, who had been effortlessly working with her Persona. 

She smiled, chuckling slightly as her eyes shifted back to their normal color, but filled with an intensity that Ren had never seen before. The intensity of someone who had seen and fought plenty. Her arms dropped, before effortlessly reaching into her coat and pulling out two hot-pink pistols. 

“Sorry, Ryuji-kun, but I have no intention of holding back. Gotta get that Persona out somehow!” She winked at him, before shifting into a fighting stance. “I call you forth, **Quetzalcoatl**!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Persona 2 Boss Music Intensifies*
> 
> What would Maya have as a boss theme? I know technically Yu and Minato/Makoto's boss themes are their regular battle themes, as far as Royal is concerned, so I guess it'd be the same for Maya? But P2 has two protagonists. Maybe Tatsuya's is the boss theme and Maya's is the battle theme? Maybe a remix of her character theme or Change Your Way? 
> 
> Whatever. These are the things I think about when I'm writing. 
> 
> I exclusively listen to Persona music while writing this. I usually have 'Joy' or 'Way of Life' going on during casual P3 cast scenes, and 'Beneath the Mask' or 'Tokyo Daylight' playing during casual P5 scenes. Helps me get in the mood.


	9. I am Thou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji awakens. Ann is pissed. Maya gets punched. Teddie shares a late night fact.

Ryuji didn’t know what was going on, and that was the first issue. He had expected the first day of training to be easy- sure, he could handle the warm-ups, and the laps, that was basic stuff. Then he thought the team was gonna do what Joker, Ann, Yusuke, and Morgana did back in LeBlanc. When they stood in a circle and chanted or whatever. So, when he was pushed into what he could only describe as a Persona-made version of the god-damn Thunderdome with Maya Amano, and she suddenly busted out a Persona that he hadn’t seen before- he got the sinking feeling that he was in trouble. He felt even more in trouble when Maya-sensei pulled out two, real-ass, god-damn pistols. That wasn’t even fair! They hadn’t even brought their model weapons, and she was armed to the fucking teeth?!

He backed up, before realizing that even if he did try to run, she probably had a way to force him back. He braced himself, before charging forwards with a yell. If she wanted him to fight back, then fine! He slammed his shoulder into Maya as she casted her first spell, sending them both hurtling towards the other edge of the platform. They struggled, before Ryuji saw a flash of pink, and a sudden, harsh, stinging feeling across his cheek. He stumbled backwards, blinking, before his head whipped towards Maya- casually spinning one of her guns in her hand. 

“Did you just effin’ pistol-whip me?!” He screamed. 

“Language, Ryuji-kun!” She smiled, before the snake-like Persona coiled behind her, the temperature suddenly rising. “Quetzalcoatl! Maha-Agidyne!” She commanded, before the entire platform was engulfed in a ring of fire. He could hear his teammates screaming in terror, as he threw his arms up to defend himself. He also learned something. All-black, primarily-leather outfits heated up really fucking fast. 

“Y’know, Seiten Taisei?! It’d be really great if you- agh!” He stumbled backwards as Maya kneed him in the face, before striking him again with one of the annoyingly pink pistols. Was that why they were pink? Because they were just made to piss off whoever looked at them? He ran towards her again, before getting smacked twice over and hit with another burst of flame. He coughed, patting out the flames on his bandanna. “Jeez, chill out!” 

The wall of flames rose higher, as Maya grinned. “Sorry, sorry! But not sorry. Now stop messing around with me, Ryuji-kun!” Her eyes flashed as she prepared another attack. 

“I need you to get serious.” 

* * *

If Futaba had known she was going to be forced to run laps, and then maybe get beat up, she would have stayed in bed all day. She didn’t care what Sojiro said, this was a lot more than she asked for. Wasn’t summer for like… spending more time online and the occasional beach trip? And while watching Ryuji get his ass beat was kind of funny, it was actually really stressful at the same time. She had no clue how far Maya-sensei was going to go, and if Ryuji got super beat up at the very beginning of summer vacation, and they had to spend the next couple of weeks worrying over him, then that would just suck for everybody. She finally mustered up the energy to stand on her own two feet, watching as Maya prepared another spell with her Persona. 

_**Scanning. Zio-type Attack Incoming. Chance of Ryuji resisting: High. Time before flames cause major damage: Imminent.** _

“Oh... neat.” Futaba muttered, before blinking. “Wait.” What the hell was that? That voice in her head, it was familiar… but she wasn’t going crazy, right? She’d totally know if she was going crazy. She had basically had like, a billion mental breakdowns when she was a shut-in, and those weren’t like this. Unless… was she just… passively using her Persona? How long had she had access to a Persona? Was it just sitting in the back of her brain this entire time? “Prometheus? Uh, how long have you been there, bud?” 

_**I have never left you. You just never needed any assistance until now.** _

Her Persona was so monotonous. Like, robotic. Should she be concerned about that? That deep down inside she was a robot? On the other hand, that was both kind of true based on the amount of time she spent online, and an incredibly badass conclusion to come to. Still, that didn’t exactly explain why her ‘Other Self’ chose now to just… pop out and help without any sort of real preamble. “Why didn’t you do the whole ‘I am thou’ thingy, though? Isn’t that required?” Honestly- it just barged in and started analyzing stuff without even a ‘hello’, didn’t it… have any sense of… manners…? 

Oh. 

Yeah, alright. She was just going to call out herself, huh? Her next stage of awakening was ‘Futaba has no social tact’, huh? 

_**We have already established a contact. I simply felt it redundant.** _

Futaba gripped her head, slightly irritated at the matter-of-fact response since it was totally something she would have said if she was in the middle of working on something. “Just… just help me! Ryuji is out there by himself! I should help, right? No, that’s not a question! I gotta help him!” 

_**Confirmed. I am thou. Thou art I. Your knowledge has been expanded from the confines of the cognitive world. However, precious time seems to be wasted in resuming tradition. Do you wish to perform a completed summoning? The energy output will keep you depleted for at least a day.** _

...You know, she missed having a Persona. Who cares if she got tired later? She’d be the first one to do a real-life summoning! “Uh, yeah?! C’mon out, Prometheus!” She pulled her goggles off her face, tossing them in the air with a cheer, as a pyre of blue energy came forth, before coalescing in a circular-like form. A mysterious, almost extraterrestrial orb, decorated with various pulsating and multicolored ‘veins’ that seemed to form a smiling face on the frontmost surface. A beam of light overtook Futaba, as she hovered in the air, before finding herself in the dark, void-like space that made up the inside of her Persona. As promised, her field of vision was flooded with knowledge, and she instantly got back to work, almost as if the few months that she had been a normie were far behind her. Her fingers flew across hovering keyboards- with scripts in Japanese and a language that it only seemed she could comprehend, her lips twisting into a mischievous smile. Prometheus spoke up. 

_**Based on similar data from Amamiya Ren, Amano Maya is preparing a Persona-change. Unidentified Persona incoming. Initiating Analysis.** _

“Hehe. Awright, Maya-sensei! Let’s see what kind of tricks you have up your sleeve!” 

* * *

Makoto bit her bottom lip. This was not how things were supposed to go. She didn’t exactly have an itinerary for their training- she had left it to the adults- but to think it would have gotten so violent so quickly… there had to be some sort of mistake. She looked around to the others, not sure exactly what she was expecting. Did she expect the adults to be proudly watching? Excitedly waiting their turn to wail on another one of the Phantom Thieves? Fortunately enough, that didn’t seem to be the case. It seemed like Lisa-sensei was focused on keeping the ring in place with her abilities, and Eikichi-san and Chie-san were nervously waiting to see what would happen. Once the flames surrounded Maya-sensei and Ryuji, she saw Eikichi-san nervously tense up. Most likely to summon his Persona in case things got bad. So. That meant that Eikichi knew some skill that could douse fire… ice-type, perhaps? 

She watched as Suou-sensei approached the group, his expression tense. The rest of the Thieves eyed him with expressions that could kill. As dumb as Ryuji could be, he was important to the team. She glanced over at Ren, who seemed to be focused entirely on Ryuji and Maya as the two came to blows. So, she took it upon herself to speak up. It wouldn’t have been the first time. She approached Suou, red-tinted eyes glaring at him from behind her mask. 

“Ryuji will be fine. Maya’s main specialty is healing and magic. Whatever damage that’s done can easily be replaced.” He said sternly, as if reading her mind. “In addition, if Maya ends up going overboard, I will take personal responsibility. If worst comes to worst, I can pay for his medical expenses.” He adjusted his glasses, before looking back towards the ring of fire. He smiled a bit, shaking his head. “I’m not worried, though.” 

Makoto’s jaw tensed. “What makes you so sure, Suou-sensei. If I may ask?” 

“Maya isn’t a fighter. I mean, she’s incredibly strong, but out of necessity. If she knew that the best way to pull Ryuji’s Persona out was via hugs and positive affirmation, that’d be her first option. But the power we’ve been gifted is fickle, and she’s incredibly cognizant of that.” There was a pause, a deep inhale. “...Incredibly so.” 

Her expression softened a bit, but she didn’t back away from him. She put her hands on her hips, still staring him down. “You think pretty highly of Maya-sensei, Suou-sensei.” 

He blushed slightly, looking away. “...I’ve heard that. Probably why I decided to marry her. Being in the police force can be… jading- especially in these times. It’s nice to come home to someone who’s always willing to smile.” 

Huh. Makoto turned to face the arena, arms folded. “...Suou-sensei, can I talk to you about--” 

_”Awright, Maya-sensei! Let’s see what tricks you have up your sleeve!”_

Futaba? 

She turned around, before taking a surprised step backwards at the sight of Futaba’s Persona. There. Active. Futaba had always been… talented. Makoto didn’t understand the younger girl in the slightest. But this was different- she had managed to summon her Persona fully before anyone else? She glanced over at Suou, gauging his expression, but he seemed equally surprised. Like he hadn’t expected that Futaba would just be able to summon her Persona unprompted. There seemed to be another level to his confusion, though. 

“What type of Persona… is that? It’s not like anything I’ve ever seen… is that Futaba-san’s?” He mumbled under his breath. Makoto was happy to supply an answer. 

“Yes, sir. That’s a Nav-type Persona. It can’t fight, but it can analyze and support much better than anything we can do.” 

Suou seemed taken aback. “Amazing. And she could just summon it like that? Futaba-san is something else…” 

Something else, huh. She had to admit, she felt a bit jealous. What could have sparked such a… weirdly quick awakening within her? The need to protect Ryuji? Support her teammates? Futaba could be a bit of a brat at times, but she did care a lot about others when it got dangerous. Still… wasn’t Makoto supposed to be an advisor for the team? She cared about the others just as much as Futaba did. She could support the team as well. And yet there was no urge within her. No push. No… drive. There was no way in hell she had just gotten complacent over the past couple of months, right? That every bit of her rebellious spirit had been sapped from her, and now she was nothing more than a college student in cheap cosplay? 

“Makoto-san.” She heard Suou’s stern voice and snapped from her trance. “Breathe.” 

She nodded stiffly, clicking her tongue. Perhaps she just needed to wait and see. That was all she could do, for now. Wait, watch, and hope that Ryuji-kun would be able to handle himself. 

* * *

Ah. Futaba-chan managed to summon her Persona. That was nice. Haru smiled complacently, watching as Ryuji fought for… well, if not his life, his dignity and personal safety. Which were both considerably important things to fight for. She supposed there wasn’t much that she could do. After all, this was Ryuji’s own chance to express his desire to awaken. She couldn’t interrupt that, or jeopardize it. She glanced back towards Prometheus as it hovered, preparing to analyze and assist Ryuji, and found herself frowning slightly. Futaba did seem to awaken to her power awfully quickly. It was enough to spark a slight feeling of inadequacy… 

No, no, that wouldn’t do. She had always found herself overthinking things when it came to the Phantom Thieves. She overthought her codename, she overthought her sense of justice, and she wasn’t going to put herself or Futaba down just because their circumstances were a bit different. Futaba managed to summon her Persona in her own special way, most likely. That was how Futaba handled things. After all, they were all different. There was no point in comparing one another’s talents when they all complimented each other so nicely. She was just going to awaken to her power in her own special way! 

_**How adorable.** _

Haru’s eyes widened, as she looked around. A voice on the wind? Perhaps something more? She recognized that vaguely condescending tone anywhere. But… she didn’t feel anything else after that. Was that truly what was in her heart? Enough resolve to tease her, and that was it? No, clearly not. Milady was fickle, and while Astarte was less so, that noble, haughty essence still remained. Just more befitting of a goddess than a lady. No, there was no reason to become discouraged. She would awaken in her own time, and she would be able to support her friends as much as possible when she did so. 

But, if she couldn’t summon a barrier, or perform a Heat Riser, she could at least support in her own way. Especially since it seemed like Ryuji was very clearly losing, but that was because the odds were tipped against him. 

“Go, go, Ryuji-kun!” She yelled out, throwing her arms in the air. “You’re so close! I believe in you!” She cheered. “You can’t lose!” 

* * *

Ryuji watched as Maya-sensei’s Persona coiled up, before it’s wings flexed outwards, and a wave of electricity crashed into him. He threw his arms up to block, feeling the searing heat across his body. He was knocked into the ground, before attempting to push himself up to his feet. He watched as Maya closed her eyes for a moment, her Persona beginning to flicker and change. 

_”Ryuji! Can you hear me? She’s about to switch Personas!”_

Ryuji took a step back, blinking. “What the hell? Futaba? Why’re you in my brain?” That was weird. The only times he remembered Futaba barking mental orders was when she had her Persona. Maybe he was going through heat-stroke? Like, first he heard the voice of one of his friends, and-- 

_”Come ON, Ryuji! Attack! She’s totally exposing her weak point!”_

Yeah, nevermind, that was Futaba. Still, if he was getting support, then that was a good thing. After all, that was at least one bit of an advantage than what Maya had. Hopefully. He ran towards Maya as she was focusing, before dropping to the ground and sweeping at the woman’s legs. That was more of a ‘Makoto’ move, in his opinion, but he needed her to be off guard, and it seemed like going full brute-force without a strategy was only going to cause him trouble. 

“Come to me, Tishtori-yaaAA-!” Maya screamed as she lost her footing, slamming into the ground as another Persona flashed behind her. A humanoid with a shimmering gold mask and glistening armor, long blue hair flowing behind it. Ryuji grinned, before taking a few seconds he had to catch his breath. He needed whatever chances he could get. Besides- it didn’t really feel right hitting her while she was down. Like, sure, this was a fight, but he’d feel like a real fuckin’ scumbag if he just wailed on her. He watched as she slowly began to get up, arms shaking. 

“Ryuji-kun…” She muttered. “Stop holding back…” Her hand held out forwards, before her Persona mimicked her motion. “Tishtoriya. Aquadyne.” There was a moment where it seemed like time held still as a ball of water formed in front of him. His eyes widened, before he was struck by what felt like ten hoses. He rolled to the very edge, feeling as if he was just caught under a massive wave. Half of him felt like burning off, and the other half felt like he was drowning. 

His ears were ringing, before he looked over at his friends watching from the other side. Makoto and Haru just seemed concerned, and it was impossible to read Yusuke’s expression. Ren had his jaw set, his back straight, as if he was planning on jumping in without hesitation. And Ann… 

Ann looked fucking pissed. 

Ann never looked… mad, often. Personally, Ryuji thought she didn’t have the face for it. Not like he’d say it out loud, but it was kinda true. Makoto’s eyes were intense, Haru’s had this weird coldness at times, and Futaba could do that creepy shiny anime thing with her glasses, but the most he usually saw from Ann was either upset or marginally pissed off. This was different though. He could see her teeth, a grimace on her face. Her eyes seemed like they could start spewing flames at any moment, and while it was hard to tell from behind her mask, he could swear that they were glistening a bit. Like she was about to… 

Cry. 

Oh, _hell no_

He slowly got up, closing his eyes. He had to steel his resolve or whatever, right? He wasn’t going to let his friends worry about him any more. Ever since Shido’s palace collapsed- even if they had been kind of rough before- he had felt bad for even making them worry about him like that. He wanted to be someone they could rely on, not some reckless asshole who kept doing things on his own. His head started pounding, as sweat started beading down his face. 

_**I see. How admirable.** _

_**You’re clearly stronger than you give yourself credit for. Fine then. I suppose you’re worthy of my power once more.** _

An ominous chuckle crashed throughout his head, as Ryuji gripped his head, starting to sway back and forth. The heat from the flames seemed to become nothing but an afterthought. His breathing began to increase, as he felt his nails digging into his scalp. He threw himself on the ground, his scream cutting through the flames. He heard Maya approach him, her voice, but he couldn’t comprehend a word she was saying. He threw his head towards the sky, his jaw feeling like it was about to snap open. 

_**Ah. Right. I get it. I am Thou. Thou art I. Consider this a renewal of our contract. The heavens shall be yours to ravage once more. Now, let us cause some havoc!** _

There was a pause, before a massive explosion shook the arena. Ryuji screamed, as a pillar of light shot from his body, piercing the heavens before a shape began hurtling downwards. A massive form on a nimbus cloud, a bo staff firmly in its grip. Ryuji couldn’t help but smile through the pain, as he stood up slowly, locking eyes with Maya-sensei. Out of habit, he slowly peeled off the skull mask across his face, tossing it to the side. He shook his head, as Maya stared upwards with an excited expression on her face, before looking over to face him. Her face paled. Probably horrified at his face. The intensity. The power. This was what was locked up inside of him, and he’d be damned if he was going to let it go to waste. 

“What’s wrong. Maya-sensei. Thought y’wanted me to stop holding back.” He clenched his fist, as the staff of his Persona struck the ground, the shockwave throwing her backwards to the other side of the makeshift arena Lisa had made. She slammed against the wall. 

“Let’s start this fight for real! Tear ‘er apart, **Seiten Taisei**!” 

* * *

_**Are you simply going to watch?** _

Ann scowled. Ryuji was in trouble. This was crazy. Training was supposed to be fun, or exciting, not life-threatening! She watched as he got knocked around, taking the brunt of every attack and having the nerve to get up and try again. He always thought he was so resilient, that he could just take everything on his own, but she knew that wasn’t true. Stupid Ryuji, thinking that he was some big shot. They fought as a team, what was how the Phantom Thieves operated, it wasn’t fair to just have them go one-on-one like this! Especially when they weren’t prepared! 

_**He’s suffering for your sake. Go on, interfere. You know he’d do the same for you.** _

She hadn’t even realized she was shaking this whole time. The only thing keeping her from fighting was this dumb wall of ice. That was fine. She could get rid of it. She pressed her palm against it, feeling the power welling up inside her, willing to burst. Her body began to heat up, and she welcomed it. It was familiar. A sign that she was getting closer to being able to help Ryuji. She felt her hand sink forwards a bit, a trail of water running down her arm from the melting ice. She watched as Ryuji stood up again, before suddenly gripping his head, his body beginning to sway and rock back and forth. He was getting closer to summoning his own Persona. Her arm relaxed a bit, as she slowly began to remove her hand from the wall- 

_**How silly. Does this mean you’ll sit like a good little girl on the sidelines, or assist him like the warrior you are? I can sense your resolve. Why are you hesitating?** _

No. No, she wasn’t just going to leave him to fight alone. The Phantom Thieves were a team. They were a team. Together. They had been fighting together from the beginning, and there was no way in hell that she was just going to put that to the side now. She grasped at her head with her other hand, taking shallow breaths. The sudden urge to vomit deep in her throat. 

_**Hmph. You finally acknowledge me. Come, girl. You know it’s impolite to keep a lady waiting.** _

The haughty tone snapped Ann back to her senses, as she frantically clawed at the plastic mask on her face, before ripping it off as soon as she heard Ryuji’s yell. In unison, the two of them released a massive wave of energy. She could hear all of her friends cry out, unprepared for the sheer amount of power. She didn’t even bother to look back at her Persona, simply swiping her hands across the wall of ice, watching as it melted without hesitation. She sprinted towards Ryuji before his Persona made contact with the ground, having to throw her arm up in a paulty attempt at defense as the small platform Lisa made was shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. Eventually she caught up to him, standing next to him confidently. He glanced over at her, eyes widening a bit, before nodding. 

“Got my back?” Ryuji asked, grinning. 

“Always.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, healing magic pulsing from her arm to his body. She felt him stand up straighter, before the two of them summoned their Personas as Maya began to get up. They adjusted into a battle stance, as Futaba’s voice rang through both of their heads. 

_”Woah, looking good you two! Now prepare yourselves! She’s changing Personas again- Artemis this time! Stall her for a bit so I can scan!”_

The two Thieves exchanged a glance, before sprinting forward. 

“Tarunda, Hecate!” 

“Matarukaja, Seiten Taisei!” 

* * *

Woah. 

Now that was a Persona. 

Maya thought she broke something. She was actually very sure she broke something. Which was fair, because she spent a fair amount of time beating up Ryuji-kun. She felt Artemis’ gentle hands on her shoulders, as she casted a healing spell on herself, feeling the wounds at least lessen for the time being. Ryuji was going to be an issue, though. She had guessed he focused onto physical skills, but at the same time was secretly hoping he was like… a closet mage or something. She didn’t exactly have any Personas that could take a blow, especially if he kept packing punches like that. As soon as she got up, she felt the effects of the Tarunda spell. Spells like that were interesting, because it wasn’t just like you felt physically drained- it made her feel incredibly lethargic. Both you and your Persona ended up feeling like you ran a marathon, and couldn’t put out as much power as you wanted. 

She blinked, two shapes approaching her. Wait… two? She was just fighting Ryuji, as far as she could tell... 

“Aaah…” She mumbled. “Ann-chan too? Talk about surprising…” She threw her hands forwards, feeling a chill run through her spine. “Artemis. Diamond Dust.” On cue, massive chunks of ice burst from the ground as Maya looked around, trying to devise a game plan. She watched as the two of them approached, both in their own styles. Ryuji effortlessly destroyed the ice constructs, while Ann nimbly ducked and dodged between them like her life was dependent on it. Maya’s eyes narrowed. Maybe it was. If she could catch Ann-chan with a bufudyne, then that could even the odds by a decent amount. 

She watched as flames gathered behind Ann, a wave of fire hurtling towards Maya. That was her chance. She stood her ground, letting the flames wrap around her for a moment as she prepared her next attack, before firing back an ice spell alongside the reflected agi technique. Ann braced herself for the flames, before being hit by the combined attack, the ice magic sending the blonde girl into a dizzy spiral backwards. 

“Sorry, sorry, Ann-chan~! Magic doesn’t work against my Persona.” Maya cooed, chuckling. She looked back towards where Ann landed before- wait. 

Ann was gone. 

“Eh? Ann-chan?” She looked around. The only things she could see were the glistening ice constructs, massive chunks of stone, and Ryuji running at her like a freight train. She turned around, confused. “Ann-chan? Where’d you go Ann-chaaa-” 

“Oi! Maya-sensei!” Ryuji screamed, as his Persona took another swing at her, the attack landing firmly on her side. She coughed, stumbling over. “Looks like everyday asskickin’ is workin’ just fine!” Another strike, as she was pressed into the ground. Maya sighed, before snapping her fingers as Artemis let loose another attack. A calming pulse of energy wafted past Ryuji, as he chuckled. 

“Hah! What’s that gonna… gon’..na.. D-do..” He slumped to the ground, fast asleep. Maya gently got up, dusting herself off. 

“Jeez. Ryuji-kun can pack a punch. Now I just need to find-” 

“...’Ann-chan’, right?” 

She heard a voice behind her, slowly turning around to see Ann gripping onto the rock face of the wall behind her with a level of proficiency that would make most rock climbers jealous. Maya took a step back. She hadn’t even noticed. How did she even…? 

Oh. Right. Of course the Phantom Thief would be good at sneaking. And Ren-kun said something about how their physical abilities would be boosted a bit after summoning... 

“Aha… found you, Ann-chan.” She threw her hands forward. “Bufu-” 

Ann lept off the wall, slamming into Maya full-force. “Not a chance!” The two of them tumbled for a moment, before landing near the center of the arena. Maya coughed as Ann leapt up, running back to Ryuji and shaking him awake. The two teenagers began approaching her, before Ann stopped, giving Ryuji a… high-five? In the middle of a fight? Kids were weird. 

“Passing the baton to you, Ryuji! Go get ‘em!” 

A red energy seemed to flash from Ann to Ryuji, as he summoned his Persona. The sky shook as a massive golden fist began to descend from the sky, growing closer and closer. Maya chuckled, shaking her head. She really wished she had a Persona that knew Tetrakarn right about now. Still… this was fair. Well, two against one wasn’t fair, but she could get it. Most Persona-users didn’t fight alone, and even without being able to use magic, Ann found a way to tip the scales. 

“That’s enough!” A voice called out, as Katsuya stepped up to the fighters, summoning his own Persona. “We’re done for now.” He snapped his fingers, as a flash of holy light surrounded the two blond teenagers, before forcing them to pass out. Maya sat up, pouting slightly, as the giant fist vanished from the sky. 

“Come on, we weren’t done!” She whined, summoning Sarasvati and casting Samarecarm on the two. 

“You couldn’t have handled that hit. They won. We’ll leave it at that.” Katsuya barked, before nodding at the two teenagers as they slowly came to. “Those are some impressive moves. But now you two need to rest.” 

Ren walked over to the four of them, nodding slightly. “We’ll call it a night. I think everyone needs to get back home. Futaba’s already passed out.” He gestured over his shoulder at the young, orange-haired girl, who was laying sprawled out against the ground. “She’ll need at least a day.” 

Maya nodded, not standing up. Her legs were feeling… super wobbly. She clapped her hands together. “Alright! We’ll call it for tonight. I’ll pay for your taxi’s back.” 

Katsuya blinked. “Can we afford that?” 

“We’ll find out how many teens we can cram in one and then do the math from there.” She replied, calmly. She looked over at Lisa and Eikichi, watching as Lisa dropped the massive stone arena, and Eikichi started gathering up the kids. Most likely to have them put up their costumes. After all, that’d be a hell of an awkward taxi ride back. Ann and Ryuji got up, both of them looking over at Maya with mixed expressions. 

She smiled. “If you’re upset, that’s totally fine.” 

There was a pause, before Ryuji grinned. “Are you kiddin’? I want a rematch! You an’ me! Just… y’know, no pistol-whippin’.” He nudged Ann, who sighed begrudgingly. 

“I mean… I guess we did summon our Personas, so thank you, Maya-sensei. Just… next time be less dangerous! Ryuji could have gotten really hurt!” She whined, as Ryuji flushed slightly, patting Ann on the shoulder. 

Maya giggled, nodding as the two of them walked off with Ren. 

Katsuya walked over to her, helping pull her up to her feet. She winced, before chuckling. 

“What are you so happy about?” Her husband asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“...They’re strong. I’m just glad they’re strong.” She mumbled, before shifting her weight onto him, her legs going limp. “Carry meee…” She whimpered. 

“Ma-ya, you’re not a kid- I can’t-” 

“Kacchan, I’m tiiiired.” 

There was a pause, before she felt her weight shift as Katsuya picked her up bridal-style, carrying her to the rest of the group as the teenagers sloppily tried to put on their civvies over their thief outfits. It worked better for some than others. Ren gave the two of them an acknowledging nod, before turning to the Thieves. 

“Two days until our next lesson, team.” He said, carefully tucking his mask into Morgana’s bag. “Do whatever mental training it takes to prepare yourselves. Physical too.” 

“Why are you making it seem like a deadline?” Maya asked, arms wrapped firmly around Katsuya’s shoulders. She could tell he was more than a little bit embarrassed. She giggled, gently patting him on the cheek, before focusing back on the Thieves. “Well, either way, we’ll pay your taxi fares. Take tomorrow easy, and get ready for the day after. You did good work! I can’t wait to see all of your Personas!” She said, cheerfully. She glanced over them all, seeing a spark of determination in all of their expressions. Well… Makoto seemed a bit troubled, but it was probably nothing to worry about. “Alright.” She kissed Katsuya on the cheek. “Onwards, Kacchan! I’m exhausted!” 

He scoffed. “Sure sounds like you have a lot of energy. Let’s get going, kids.” He gestured towards the edge of the park, before starting to walk off, the rest of the group following in tow. 

“Oh, Amano-san, Suou-san. I’m going to stay behind.” Chie piped up, as the group began walking away. Maya gave her an acknowledging nod, before prodding Katsuya to move faster, as the group faded into the night. 

* * *

* * *

Chie smiled a bit, bouncing on her toes. That was exciting just to watch! And she got a better feeling on what she needed to do. Intense pressure, and a feeling like she was gonna die huh? That was easier said than done, but she could do it. She had been focusing on training her body all this time, but she had practically forgotten that Personas had just as much importance when it came to the mind compared to the body. She needed to remember that. She jogged over to the park’s lake, taking a moment to sit down and look at herself. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was getting into- honestly, the Phantom Thieves of Heart seemed like a really dangerous thing at first, but it just kind of seemed like they were a bunch of cool kids. They reminded her of her friends back in Inaba. Especially that Ren kid. Still… she couldn’t help but feel like an odd duck. Maybe even a bit lonely, although that felt like a bit of an exaggeration. 

She felt her phone buzz in her pocket. 

* * *

**KUMA :o3:** teddies late night bear fact!!!! koalas think theyre bears but i dont bear-lieve them!!! xDDD  
**Yosuke:** Teddie it’s like 12:30 please go to sleep.  
**KUMA :o3:** um it wouldmt be a late night brar fact if it was earlier!! Silly yosouke lolol  


* * *

Chie smiled. Right. Her friends. She should at least let them know she was in Tokyo. In case any of them wanted to come by. She had already planned on telling Yukiko, she had just put it off for the time being. 

* * *

**Chie:** brar fact  
**KUMA :o3:** dont bully me chiechawn its dark!!! My fingies are also silleryp  
**KUMA :o3:** slipparpy spl p  
**Chie:** ew wait why wtf  
**Yosuke:** Just went downstairs. he’s eating an entire tub of ice cream. :/  
**Chie:** that tracks.  
**Chie:** anyways i’m in tokyo jsyk.  
**Shirogane:** Y ARE U IN TOKYO???  
**Chie:** oh christ  
**Chie:** uh no reason just hangin out  
**Yosuke:** Naoto coming in with the jumpscare texts  
**Shirogane:** I DON’T UNDRSTND BUT OK  
**Shirogane:** HOW IS TOKYO POST-PT INCIDENT.  
**Chie:** uh fine? Theres a lot of merch. I can buy u a mask if you want  
**Shirogane:** NO THX  
**KUMA :o3:** maoto doesmt wan t merch from crimimals!!  
**Shirogane:** EXCTLY TEDDIE  
**Shirogane:** ANYWAYS WHY R U ALL AWAKE? ITS LATE.  
**Shirogane:** I AM WRKIN ON A CASE  
**Yosuke:** Couldnt get to sleep so watchin TV.  
**KUMA :o3:** got hungry!!  
**Chie:** Persona training  
**Yosuke:** wait what the fuck  


* * *

Ah, shit.

Chie grimaced as she quickly typed a foolproof response. 

* * *

**Chie:** WOW am i sleepy ahahah goodnight guys love u <3 <3 bye.  
**Yosuke:** No chie wait what the fuck are you talking about.  
**Yosuke:** chie????  
**Yosuke:** Cmere girl ill buy you a steak if you tell me whats up. hows that sound? yum yum  
**Shirogane:** SHE ISNT A DOG YOSUKE  
**Yosuke:** Get u some filet mingion yummy yummy  
**Yosuke:** *mignon  
**Shirogane:** BUT I WLD LIKE AN EXPLNATN  
**KUMA :o3:** love u too chie chan!!!! <3 <3  


* * *

Chie closed her phone, before sighing. Well. Maybe she should avoid the chat for a bit. No, that wouldn’t work, then she’d just get a bunch of calls. She yawned, before shaking her head. She could come up with another lie in the morning. She got up to head back to the hotel, before spotting Lisa-sensei waiting by one of the trees.

“You waited for me, sensei?” 

Lisa smiled, nodding. “Couldn’t have you walk back alone. Come on. Maybe you, Eikichi, and I can watch some movies when we get to your hotel room, unwind a bit. Then you and me can do some 1 on 1 Persona training in the morning.” 

Chie grinned, nodding as she jogged over. “That’d be great! Thank you, sensei!” 

She glanced at her phone, before putting it in her pocket. Even without her friends, this trip felt like it was going to go pretty alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also forgot Naoto texts like a madman and I feel like I would have betrayed the entire fandom if I had her text normally.
> 
> In addition I'm also headcanoning that Teddie is just... the worst person to text.
> 
> Also... Artemis is kind of an OP Persona if you're going against someone who specializes in magic? Like that all gets reflected. That's wild. No other Ultimate Persona is designed like that.
> 
> Also, P4 team cameo! I would say my favorites but I love all my Inaba children equally. Actually I love Naoto the most but THEN I love them all equally.


	10. Sexy Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto makes plans. Ann practices manipulation. Ryuji hates it. Ken gets a phone number.

Shirogane Naoto. The original detective prince. Investigative prodigy, and nuisance to almost every police precinct in the country of Japan. She sat in front of her laptop, quietly drinking cold coffee as she sat in the middle of the throws of another long research session.

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts. At this point, they required no introduction. They had taken the idea of ‘vigilante justice’, and increased it to almost impossible levels. Improbable, even, but she understood that in certain situations, the most improbable things could be the most likely. She stared at her phone for a moment, the feeling of something being wrong pricking at the base of her skull. This was Chie they were talking about. She had no reason to be suspicious of Satonaka Chie. However, it was strange. Chie hadn’t kept it a secret that she was in Sumaru City in search of greater training- it was the first thing she had informed them about ever since she had failed the police examination last year. Naoto had even suggested pulling some strings, but Chie- being Chie- refused and had wanted to ‘find herself’ before trying again. Which was admirable, certainly, but the whole group was more than a bit worried about her morale. 

That being said, the concept of Chie wishing to train her Persona was odd. Ever since the events with Minazuki and the Kirijo Group, they had tried to live their lives as normally as possible. Yosuke had graduated from business school, Yu was studying to be an educator, Teddie continued work at Junes, and Yukiko had continued to stay in Inaba running the Inn. Apparently, ‘Risette’ had ‘mentioned it offhandedly’ in an interview, and it had gotten a bit more traffic. Speaking of… 

Naoto stared at the tickets strewn across the table. Rise’s concert wasn’t for another two weeks, and she had given them out to her friends two months in advance. If it was anyone else, she would have considered it an act of overconfidence or conceit, but while Rise could be vapid at times, she was incredibly cognizant of her popularity. Any later and the tickets would have been sold out- even if Rise tried to hold them. Concerts weren’t exactly Naoto’s thing, but she remembered the puppy dog eyes and whining pleas from her friend far to vividly. 

_”Come onnnn!”_ The idol had said. _”When was the last time we hung out? It’ll be totally fun! I do the concert, and then we hang out and party the night away! Yosuke and Teddie already agreed!”_

Which was a ridiculous argument, since Yosuke had been a ‘Risette’ fan since high school, and Teddie had the unique ability to be unable to argue against anything with breasts. And of course, then Yu had given his calm remark on the situation- something along the lines of ‘It won’t be the same without you’, and Naoto felt herself stuck in a bind, since it was practically impossible to say ‘no’ to Narukami Yu. So, she had reluctantly agreed, accepted the tickets for both her and Kanji, and had been holding onto them for the past month or so. The concert was in Tokyo- part of which explained why it was going to be so packed- but it was also the first major idol concert since the Phantom Thieves had struck. Advertised as Risette being ‘unafraid’ of what had happened, ‘not running away’, and ‘pushing forwards with her own brand of musical justice’. Featuring hits such as ‘Time to Make History’ and ‘Heartbeat, Heartbreak’. 

_”Get it?”_ Rise giggled. _”Because they’re the Phantom Thieves of H-”_ Naoto had cut her off right there. 

However, she was getting wildly off track. She rubbed her temples, grunting. This was more difficult than it needed to be, most likely because she was trying her best to investigate the Phantom Thieves without letting the police force know. Ever since the police had gotten a hold of Shido’s full confession and details of the Conspiracy, alongside the knowledge that the new ‘Detective Prince’ was nothing more than a murderous fraud, it had essentially put a retroactive stain on Naoto’s reputation as well- despite it not being public knowledge. It was already a pain to get the police to work with her- many of them thought she was haughty and arrogant, and the amount of people that wanted to believe that all of her prior cases had been shams was… astonishingly high. Unfortunately for them, she had earned her reputation through legitimate means, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have a fair amount of disdain towards the young ‘Detective Prince’. Especially since he had the cowardice to go off the grid as soon as Shido’s crimes came to light. Some had suspected that Shido had him killed, but there was no mention of an act like that in the confession. 

Her phone buzzed, as she slowly grabbed it from the desk. She expected an explanation from Chie. Or… well, she wasn’t ‘expecting’ that, but it would be nice. She read the message, before scoffing slightly. 

* * *

**Kanji:** please go to bed  


* * *

She quickly replied. Maybe too quickly for the content of the message.

* * *

**Shirogane:** I WAS SLPING  
**Kanji:** u were literally in the group chat 4 minutes ago lmao  
**Shirogane:** THS IS IMPRTNT WRK  
**Kanji:** phantom thieves?  
**Kanji:** didnt they already catch the leader? whatre you even lookin for  
**Shirogane:** METHODS UNCLEAR  
**Shirogane:** ACCOMPLICES UNCLEAR  
**Shirogane:** ASSOCIATION WITH MENTAL SHUTDOWNS AND APATHY SYNDROME  
**Shirogane:** ALONGSIDE THE FULL VALIDITY OF THE CONFESSIONS  
**Shirogane:** UNCLEAR  
**Kanji:** ok yea i can see how that bugs u  
**Kanji:** but dont let it keep u up. u think best after some sleep  


* * *

Despite the lecturing, she appreciated having someone looking out for her. Kanji was… probably the best part of life. Which is why she hated being away from Inaba, really. He had to help his mother out with the textile store during the summer (well, ‘have’ was strong, his mother had insisted several times that she was fine, but he was determined. Bless him.), and was going to school for fashion. Which was… nice. He was reliable. Constant. Helped her from going crazy on many nights when she was researching, and in turn she tried her best to help him whenever he was feeling uncomfortable with himself.

She looked at the notes that she had taken. Clearly the Phantom Thieves were stationed in Tokyo. She just needed a reason to go there without every law enforcement office in Japan calling her and asking her to keep her nose out of things. Chie was already in Tokyo, but then she would be curious about her intentions. Maybe if she asked Kanji, she could come up with a suitable excuse about the two of them visiting to spend ‘quality time’ with each other. She could also claim it was Kanji’s idea, since there was no way that Chie would believe that she would want to go on anything even remotely akin to a ‘romantic getaway’. Of course, then there came the issue of getting Kanji to agree. She would need to be subtle about this. Think through her options. 

* * *

**Shirogane:** CME 2 TOKYO W/ ME  
**Kanji:** huh? why?  
**Shirogane:** UM  
**Shirogane:** B/C I MISS U  
**Shirogane:** TEE HEE OWO  
**Kanji:**  
**Kanji:** never do that again.  
**Shirogane:** Y? RISE DOES IT ALL THE TIME WHN SHE WNTS 2 CONVINCE YU 2 DO SMTH  
**Kanji:** yeah but youre not rise  
**Kanji:** also idk if that actually works? yu is just super nice i think  
**Kanji:** still if u wanna come to tokyo to investigate under the guise of a relationship vaycay im down  


* * *

She was so glad he understood her. Massive leaps since high school. Massive.

* * *

**Shirogane:** THNK U KANJI  
**Shirogane:** ILY  
**Kanji:** love u too. gn.  
**Shirogane:** SWEET DREAMS  
**Kanji:** right back atcha <3  


* * *

She took another sip of the lukewarm coffee, her mind finally starting to clear up enough to realize that it was awful, and if she continued to drink it she would probably vomit. She gagged a bit, sliding the cup to the side, before staring at her messy desk. He was right. She did most of her best thinking when she was well-rested. She had been going in circles around the same buzzwords for the past hour or so. LeBlanc. Shujin. Shido. Nothing that truly cleared up who was working with Amamiya. The obvious answer would be his friend group, but that seemed… almost too obvious. Besides, the actions of the Phantom Thieves were drastically different and seemed to almost negatively affect everyone involved. And if not that, there seemed to be a level of inconsistency.

First things first, Takamaki Ann was working to become a famous model based on interviews. She could easily achieve that by changing the hearts of someone influential in the company, and yet she was still doing regular, local magazine shoots and only occasionally showing up in anything notable. 

Kitagawa Yusuke was on thin ice in regards to his Kosei High scholarship, and didn’t seem to be in an influx of any wealth or real changes to his conditions. Although there did seem to be one piece of his that stuck out to her for some reason. ‘Desire and Hope’. In a sense, it reminded her of their escapades in the TV World, but she couldn’t explain how. She was never much of an ‘art head’ anyways, so perhaps that would forever be a mystery to her. 

Niijima Makoto was an honor student, the daughter of an officer, and was planning on going to law school. That alone was enough for her to have doubts. In addition, rumor was that the late principal of Shujin had blackmailed her into hunting down the Phantom Thieves. That alone made her cringe a bit. An adult forcing a dangerous task such as that upon a teenager… how cowardly. 

Finally, Okumura Haru may have had a motive to kill her father if, perchance, she had taken control of the company shortly afterwards. But that wasn’t the case in the slightest. She had become more vocal, but she was far from running Okumura Foods, and wasn’t exactly assertive about it either. It just… didn’t make sense. 

The only real co-conspirator she could predict was Sakamoto Ryuji. He was impulsive, and the first outing of the ‘Phantom Thieves’ seemed to be a grudge against Kamoshida, who Sakamoto had a personal vendetta against. Also, a few eyewitness reports had him mentioning the Phantom Thieves several times over. Certainly suspicious. 

She yawned. No use going over evidence now. She could probably get to Inaba tomorrow, pick up Kanji, and then head to Tokyo. Then, she would take her time in Tokyo to gather the information she could, and then have another case closed in a satisfying manner. It was easier said than done but... well, so was the life of a detective. She tossed herself on the hotel bed, exhaustion hitting her like a pound of bricks. 

“You can’t run for longer… Phantom Thieves…” She mumbled, before letting sleep swallow her. 

* * *

* * *

“Are you okay, Ryuji?” Ann asked, between bites of her crepe. “You look kind of upset.” 

He blinked, before shrugging. “I’m fine, I guess. Ya ever just get a sudden feeling of dread sometimes?” 

Ann pouted. “That’s scary, Ryuji! Don’t even say things like that. Especially since we’re… y’know. ‘Back’ again.” 

“We ain’t ‘back’, Suou-san made that clear. Kinda pisses me off though. What’s the point of givin’ us our powers if we can’t use ‘em?” It didn’t make any sense. It mainly just seemed like Suou-san was following whatever whims Maya-san had. But it didn’t really seemed like he was whipped or somethin’, just kind of like he trusted her judgement. But what were they aiming at? Just… letting them have powers? They didn’t know each other long enough to trust each other… at least he was doin’ it because the training seemed kind of fun, but what was their goal. He sighed, popping the tab on his soda can. “Oi, slow down with that crepe, you’re gonna effin’ choke.” 

“I can’t help it!” Ann whined. “I’ve been feeling so drained after last night, and this is the only thing giving me energy!” She sighed, putting down her fork for the time being, before beaming at Ryuji. “Thanks for buying, by the way. You didn’t have to.” 

“Sure I did. Consider it thanks for savin’ my ass last night.” He grinned, before rolling his shoulders back. Damn, he was sore. Guess he should be used to it. He felt the same way after awakening in that shithead Kamoshida’s Palace. “Jeez… I can hardly move.” He grumbled with a grimace. Actually, this was worse. “I at least appreciate they gave us the day off. An’ I guess we’ll get another one when Haru, Makoto, and Yusuke start to awaken too.” He scratched his chin. “You think I could call Maya-san and ask for a rematch? I’ve never really fought someone who can change Personas.” Ren wasn’t really the ‘sparring’ type. He took the whole ‘Phantom Thief’ thing seriously, only fighting as a last resort and planning on sneaking around and occasionally ambushing. The most training consisted of them beating on shadows in Mementos in a group. And,somehow... he was still the fucking strongest in the group. 

Not like he was jealous or anything, Ren was probably one of the best friends he could ask for and all that but… yeesh. 

Ann shrugged. “Maybe. She seems really enthusiastic about that stuff. Maybe bring someone else to play referee, though. I think we started getting a little carried away.” She laughed nervously. “Suou-san seemed a bit upset once you tried out that God Hand.” 

“Kinda wish I didn’t… I think I know why I feel like utter shit now. A charged-up God Hand is not real smart for the ‘first’ time summoning.” 

There was a bit of a pause, before Ann glanced over Ryuji’s shoulder, gasping slightly. “Oh… crap. Don’t turn around, Ryuji, but do you think that’s that Amada guy?” 

He furrowed his brow. “Yo, how the hell am I supposed to know if it is or not if I don’t look?” 

“Don’t be a smartass!” Ann huffed, still staring past him. “Brown hair, short, has a really cute albino dog. Wasn’t that how Ren and Makoto described him? He interrogated Haru, right? What’re we supposed to do if he comes over to talk to us? 

Ryuji sighed. “Just… I dunno, act normal I guess? I kinda forgot the alibi’s Makoto planned for why we all hang out sometimes? Wasn’t it like… a drama club? No, no…” He scratched his head, sighing. Jeez… Makoto could’a have at least written it down. He looked at Ann for help, but it seemed as if she was as stumped as he was. 

“...I think it was a cooking club.” She finally said. 

“No effin’ way! It had somethin’ to do with the rooftop.” 

“...And you think the drama club practices on the rooftop?” Their voices had dropped to a whisper, although it didn’t seem to make much of a difference in regards to the intensity. 

“I dunno! I’ve never been part of a club like that! Whatever, just ignore him and he’ll-” 

Ann blinked. “Too late. I think he saw me staring and now he’s walking over.” 

Ryuji groaned. “For real? God, just… don’t say anythin’ suspicious. Hopefully your freakin’ acting has improved…” 

“My acting is fine! Maybe you’re the one that needs to keep their mouth shut! Just don’t mention the words ‘Phantom’ or ‘Thief’, genius!” Ann snapped back. “Now stop whispering, it’s suspicious!” 

“I’m not suspicious! You’re suspi-” 

“Uh, excuse me.” Cut in a voice. Ryuji looked up to see a guy… roughly their age with a backpack slung over one shoulder. He at least fit the vague description that was given to them, and there was- in fact- an albino dog. Ryuji reached out to pet the dog on impulse, and was silently satisfied when the dog didn’t put up any resistance. Ok, so the dog was cool, but if this was really that Amada guy- 

“My name is Amada Ken. You’re Sakamoto Ryuji, right? And so you must be…” 

“Takamaki Ann!” The blonde girl chirped. Ryuji grimaced. Her voice was already doing that thing where it started to go higher and higher, and eventually she would slowly lose her ability to pronounce words like a normal human being. Suspicious. It was always effin’ suspicious, and every time she got lucky enough to justify it. Ryuji rolled his eyes, before folding his arms. 

“What’s it to you, Ken?” He grunted, glaring the brown-haired boy down. The dog suddenly got a lot less friendly, as Amada gently knelt down to scratch its head. He chuckled, somewhat nervously. Ryuji tended to have that effect on people. Anybody who didn’t know him just assumed he was some violent delinquent… and only the second half of that was really true. Plus, he wasn’t even really that delinquent-y, or whatever. He didn’t even think about skippin’ school. His mom would kick his ass. 

“Sorry if I’m intruding, but I just wanted to ask you a couple questions. In regards to the Phantom Thieves.” He continued. The two Thieves exchanged a quick glance, before Ryuji shook his head. 

“Never heard of ‘em.” 

He felt a sharp kick under the table. He stifled a shout, before glaring at Ann, who had tried to keep the conversation moving along. 

“He’s kidding, Amada-san. Of course we have!” She exclaimed. “Sakamoto-kun is a kidder. He makes jokes. Because it would literally-” Kick. “Make-” Another one. Harder. “ _NO_ sense for us not to know who the Phantom Thieves are!” She added one more hit for good measure, speaking through a forced smile. 

Ryuji grimaced, reaching down to rub his leg. “Hggh… yep. Mmhm. Don’t know ‘em personally or whatever, though…” He paused for a second. “Wait, ‘Sakamoto-kun’?” When the hell did she start talking so impersonally? 

Ann gave him a look. “That’s your name, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah, but-” 

“I mean, it’s not like we spend a _ton_ of _time together_ , riiiight?” 

Ryuji opened his mouth to retort, before it finally set in. They were probably already seen together- she was probably just trying to make their relationship seem more casual than anything. It kind of sucked though. Reminded him of the beginning of their high school year. Still, whatever, he could play along. 

“Right, Takamaki-kun.” 

There was a pause, as Ann slowly sighed and closed her eyes, and Amada just… stared. 

“...Right.” The wannabe detective muttered, before continuing. “Anyways, you two are friends with Amamiya Ren, right? Word around says that you were the only two that would even bother with him when he first arrived at Shujin Academy.” 

He glanced at Ann, before nodding. “Yeah. You got a problem with that? People started labellin’ him for no effin’ reason, and I could relate. Couldn’t just leave the guy alone without a friend, or whatever.” He tried to sound flippant about it, but it did honestly piss him off how nobody in Shujin would even touch Ren with a ten-foot pole. Everyone had this weird notion that he was dangerous, but the guy wouldn’t hurt a fly unless he was absolutely sure the fly was gonna kill him first. Ren did give off an intense… aura, at times. So maybe that’s what everyone else was picking up. It was kind of badass though. 

Amada nodded, folding his arms. “So… you only really became friends because you thought he needed one? It seems like both of you started antagonizing Kamoshida at the same ti-” 

...Antagonizing? They were just defending themselves. That prick who pretended to be a teacher wasn't being antagonized in the slightest! He was just getting what came to him! And frankly, got off easier than Ryuji wanted. He slammed his hand on the table. “Bullshit! Kamoshida was threatenin’ us way before any sort of shit happened! Don’t even think about talkin’ about that prick like he was some sorta’ victim. You’re so effin’ smart, so I’m sure you heard his confession!” He was practically growling- definitely causing a scene. He felt Ann’s hand on his arm, before she started talking. 

“What he means to say is that they weren’t the only ones who were abused by Kamoshida. The whole volleyball team was constantly in bandages, and he…” She trailed off, before clearing her throat. “He forced me into a relationship with him too. That’s how Sakamoto and Amamiya-kun got to know me. All three of us ended up under his thumb.” 

Amada paused, processing the information. He seemed a lot less aggressive suddenly, before pulling a small folder out of his backpack, flipping through it. “...Right. Sexually abused the female students both on and involved with the team… I…” He seemed at a loss for words. “I apologize. I should have been more careful.” He said with a bow. Ryuji raised an eyebrow. 

“You’re… apologizin’?” 

He nodded. “Yes. I mean, this was a lot more sensitive a subject than I thought. I should have thought things through before asking. But… still, I’ve got to continue my questioning. This is important. So, I hope you don’t mind if I take just a few more minutes.” 

Ann sighed. “I guess so, but who are you even gathering this information for?” She asked, straight out. Ryuji had to applaud her for at least being straightforward. 

Ken shook his head. “Sorry, Takamaki-san. But this is incredibly classified and important information. If Kir- if my frien- my boss? My boss. If she knew that I was just giving it out to people, she’d have my head.” 

Ann and Ryuji glanced at each other again, before Ann mouthed ‘I’m gonna do it’, leaving Ryuji to try to figure out what ‘it’ was. Was she gonna kill the guy? Knock him out in an alleyway and steal his phone? This wasn’t some routine they had practiced, she was going to need to give him a bit more context than that. This wasn’t like with Maya, where they had the same goal, he literally had no effin’ clue what her plan was. 

“Ken-kuuun-” She began to whine, doing her best impression of someone who was upset. Which, compared to normal human standards, was a bad impression of someone who’s upset. “Why are you treating us like we’re _bad_ guys. You’re so _mean_ , Ken-kun. Do you _really_ think that _I’m_ a _bad girl_ , Ken- _kuuun_?” 

Ryuji suddenly wanted to throw himself off a cliff. Amada just seemed… surprised. “I- I never said that, Takamaki-san. I-I-I just…” 

She huffed, turning away from him with far too much flair to be even interpreted as a ‘natural gesture’. “I didn’t realize you _hated_ me, Ken-kun. Asking all these _deep_ and _personal_ questions! I _can’t_ even _believe_ you!” 

People were staring. Ryuji couldn’t even imagine what this looked like from an outside view, because it was basically hell to sit through. Amada was bright red, trembling a bit like he was being held at gunpoint. 

Ann continued talking. Which Ryuji wished she wouldn’t, but it obviously couldn’t get worse. 

She gave him a sideways glance. “Especially since I think I was _starting_ to _fall_ for you, Ken-kun.” 

It got worse. 

Was that even necessary? It wasn’t even that he was jealous- it was so painfully obvious she was full of crap- but wasn’t there a phrase? ‘Quit while you’re ahead’? 

And even still, that was her master plan? They had only known the guy for hardly five minutes, and yet Ann thought she could just… talk him into submission? Like that? Ryuji blinked, looking over to Ken to see if he was feeling as awkward as he was There was no way he was going to go for a bullshit performance like that. This dude was supposed to be investigating them, and this wasn’t some anime or something. She wasn’t just the token ‘sexy’ character that could get whatever she wanted just by flir- 

“U-um… listen, maybe I c-could get your chat I.D? I-I don’t want to talk about it publicly, and I can’t tell you all the details b-but…” 

_What the hell?_

Who was this guy? This dude was obviously an amateur compared to that prick Akechi or Niijima-san. Honestly, who the hell would give up information he just called classified to a pretty girl… 

...Actually, no, apparently this always worked. It wasn’t like he wanted it to backfire on her or somethin’, but karma couldn’t keep applauding shitty performances like that. Could it? 

She beamed, as Amada fumbled his phone out of his pockets, and she swiftly snatched it from his grip. “Oh, _thank_ you, Ken-kun! She started typing into the phone, as Ryuji leaned back in his seat. Eventually she handed it back. “Make sure to keep in touch, ‘kay?”She said, winking at him. It took a lot of effort for Ryuji not to just get up and leave at that moment. 

Ken took his phone back, staring at it for a few moments. “Uh...I...u-um…” 

“We’ve gotta go! Bye-bye!” Ann quickly stood up, grabbing Ryuji’s arm as the two of them hurried out of the crepe shop into the rest of the underground shopping complex. 

* * *

* * *

Ken finally spoke up.

“H-how do you two know Okumura-saaa…” 

They had left. The table was deserted. Those two were quick, and he knew he should have pursued them but… 

Ken had just gotten a model's phone number. 

_Sweet._

He stared at his phone for a moment, his hands shaking. This wasn’t something that just… happened, right? Did she actually think he was cute? His heart was pounding. He sat down at the now-empty table, as Koromaru trotted next to him, nudging his legs. 

“Do you think I have a shot, Koromaru?” 

The old shiba inu whined, nudging him a bit more. Ken frowned, before reaching down to scratch the dog’s muzzle. It honestly hurt to see Koromaru like this. He was… a lot sturdier than most other dogs, part of that probably came with being able to summon a Persona, but he was still really old for his breed. Not like he knew how old. The only one who knew how old Koromaru was before joining S.E.E.S was that priest. 

“Yeah, yeah. How about we get you back to base and give you a warm bath, hm? I’m sure you’re tired. We’ve been walking quite a bit.” 

Koromaru whimpered. 

“...I don’t know what I’m gonna tell Kirijo-san. I mean… Takamaki-san can’t be a Phantom Thief, right? Maybe Sakamoto-san but… jeez. I guess I messed this up pretty bad, huh? Maybe I can learn some stuff from texting with Takamaki-san?” 

Koromaru barked, nuzzling into Ken’s leg. 

Ken chuckled. “Thanks, Koromaru.” He rubbed the dogs head, before standing up. “Let’s get going.” 

* * *

* * *

Once they were a comfortable distance away, Ann gave him a proud grin. 

“So, what was that about my acting?” 

Ryuji rolled his eyes. “It still sucks ass. Nice work getting his phone number though. Plannin’ on givin’ it to Futaba?” 

“Whatever,” Ann pouted, lightly elbowing him in the stomach, before continuing. “She already has it. The name in his phone is mine, but I put in Futaba’s info. Figured that might speed the process along of figuring stuff out without her having to take my own phone. I… don’t really get how her whole process works.” 

“Me neither. Still, nice work. We’re gonna have to go back to pay though.” Ryuji turned around briefly, sighing. “My mom’ll get pissed if she finds out I dined and dashed.” 

“I’m a regular!” Ann assured him. “I’ll just come back tomorrow and let them know what happened. Or… most of the details. I mean, everyone saw, I’m sure they all think that Amada-san was harassing us or whatever.” 

Ryuji scratched his head. It was impossible to know what everyone else thought of Ann’s performance, but as long as he didn’t get in trouble or anything, it would be fine. “Fine, fine. Guess that means we’re headin’ to LeBlanc, right? Might as well head off now before your ‘charm’ wears off.” 

The two of them continued walking, before Ann spoke up again. “Hey… he didn’t seem that dangerous. He seemed more scared of messing up his little investigation than grilling us.” 

Ryuji shrugged. “Probably a nice guy. We’ve gotta watch out for the people he’s working with, though. I mean, it’s obvious he’s working under orders or somethin’. We can’t be comfortable thinkin’ he’s the only one.” The two of them continued a bit, before Ryuji felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned around, before realizing there was a blonde chick uncomfortably close behind him. He shouted, stumbling back a bit. 

“The hell?!” 

Ann turned around along with him, a bit confused. “What’s up, Ryuji? Oh, uh, hi…?” 

A blonde girl with a red ribbon around her neck, wearing some school uniform. It wasn’t from a local school, at least. And it was the middle of the summer. Did she not have any other clothes? Or maybe she was one of those hardass honor students that spent all of their time with classes. Ryuji regained his composure, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

“What’dyo want? We’re kinda busy.” 

The girl stared at them for a moment, before speaking. Her voice seemed… stilted. Not in the weird way like Ann’s got when she tried to lie, but like each word was deliberate or something. It was weird. 

“Takamaki Ann. Sakamoto Ryuji. Close confidants to Amamiya Ren. I was instructed to talk to you in the case that you two managed to elude Amada-kun.” She pointed at them, a small _click_ barely audible. A gun? She didn’t look armed but there was no way to be sure. Ryuji tensed, one hand instinctively reaching towards his face in order to summon his Persona. Ann’s hand caught his wrist, as Ryuji glanced over. She shook her head. Too many people. And plus… it probably wouldn’t have been a great idea to draw more attention to themselves. 

The sounds of everyone else in the underground walkway seemed to fade away, the three blonds staring at each other. Ryuji turned around. “We’re goin’.” 

He suddenly felt a hand on his wrist. Cold. Basically freezing. He tried to pull away, before realizing that it was no use. This girl was strong as hell. And not Makoto strong where he at least felt like he could at least pretend like he could put up a fight. Freakishly strong to the point. 

“My name is Aigis.” The girl stated simply. “We are in a public space, and I would rather not use force.” Her grip tightened, as he continued resisting. 

“Please. I will require your full honesty and cooperation.” 

Ann tried to step in. “This must be a misunderstanding. We haven’t done anything wrong.” 

There was another pause. Her eyes were cold, focused. Almost like a robot. “Amamiya Ren cares deeply for his friends. He is only human, after all. With that in mind, even if you elude me as well, we will get the knowledge we need. I would rather talk here than have to meet later under… less friendly circumstances.” 

“You’re talking like we’re already guilty.” Ann said. 

Ryuji’s eyes widened as she loosened her grip. “I do not wish to hurt you. I have no knowledge of your abilities, and you have no knowledge of mine. It would be reckless, and there are civilians.” Aigis continued. “You are not our main target. I would, however, appreciate your cooperation. There will be consequences if you make this more difficult than it is worth.” 

Ann and Ryuji exchanged looks, before he scowled at the freaky chick. “Yeah, no dice. We don’t have nothin’ to tell you. Come on, Ann.” He gestured away, before the two of them continued to walk away. Ryuji kept his shoulders hunched, occasionally looking back over his shoulder at the blonde girl. She didn’t avert her gaze, maybe waiting for them to decide to turn back around and talk with her. Her expression was hard to read. Upset? Angry? Disappointed? Whatever it was, it was subtle, and eventually she turned around, the two of them losing her in the crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ann would be a DnD character that someone designed and planned to be really attractive but accidentally just gave them awful charisma, but they get lucky rolls anyways.
> 
> I don't have a lot to say. We're slowly inching towards some semblance of conflict after tons of talking. Just like real Persona! Aha. hah. 
> 
> ha


	11. Contradictory Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akihiko has doubts. Fuuka gets anxious. Haru is concerned about Yusuke's income. Futaba meets Feather Pink. Feather Pink signs an action figure.
> 
> Ren learns what it's like to be a Treasure.

“You did… what?” Mitsuru hissed. Akihiko took another step back as the red-haired woman stared down Ken and Aigis from behind her desk. Ken seemed terrified, actually taking a step behind Aigis, as the blonde-haired weapon faced Mitsuru with an incredible show of bravery. Although he could probably guess she was more than a bit worried as well.

“I-I’m sorry, Kirijo-san!” Ken stammered. “I...okay, I messed up by letting them go without learning anything, but I did gather Takamaki-san’s phone number! And I’m sure they don’t think anything’s going to happen. I would never tell them anything unless you wanted me to, I swear!” 

She folded her hands on the desk, her lips pursed. “...Ken. You don’t know that. Based on Aigis’ report, they seem more than a little bit aware that someone is watching them.” She paused before her eyes narrowed. Her gaze snapped to Aigis, who somehow stood more rigidly than before. 

“Mitsuru-san--” 

“You let them go? And somehow put them more on edge? I sent you to help, not make things more complicated for us.” She snapped. Aigis looked wounded, glancing away. “If those two are indeed Phantom Thieves, then guess what you’ve done? You’ve tipped off an organization that could topple the entire Japanese government to our investigation. And what do you think that means for us? For the Kirijo Group? They could squash us like bugs if they so wished.” She stood up, folding her arms behind her back. “I am immensely disappointed in the two of you.” 

That seemed to hurt both of them. Akihiko shook his head, sighing. “Mitsuru-” 

Her gaze shot towards him, a chill running down his spine. He was… suddenly getting the feeling that his opinion wasn’t needed at the moment. She returned her focus to the two other Persona-users. 

“Amada Ken. You’re out for the time being. I shouldn’t have called you here in the first place. You needed to live as a student, not as a Shadow Operative, and I encroached on your wishes. You’re dismissed.” 

Ken’s eyes widened. “Wait- Kirijo-san! Please don’t do that! I can be useful, I promise--” 

“Leave, Amada. This is a job for adults. I should have realized that sooner.” There was a beat before Mitsuru gestured for the door. “Now, Amada. I have something to discuss with Sanada and Aigis.” 

Ken seemed deflated, slowly bowing before walking out of the office with his head down. Akihiko grimaced, glancing over at Mitsuru. 

“Really? You could have let him down easier than that.” He said, disapprovingly. 

Mitsuru scoffed. “He’s old enough to handle rejection. Now, onto today’s operation. You understand what you have to do, right?” 

Akihiko frowned. Sure, he knew, but… something felt off about it. It didn’t seem right but… at the same time, he felt like he probably… shouldn’t question it. Besides, it was Mitsuru. She handled all of the Shadow Operative’s prior tactics, why would this time be any different? Sure, the process was a bit more… direct, but it could work. Still, out of all the things he couldn’t question, one thing did come to mind. 

“Why isn’t Yukari-san here?” Aigis asked, taking the words right from his mouth. 

Mitsuru sighed. “Takeba-san is… emotional. The older version of our operation was gentle. Fit her speed. Not too much work, not too aggressive. So, we let her continue as if we’re going with that version. And then, when it becomes relevant, we work through the actual operation.” She shrugged. “Takeba is an actress. She should be able to improvise when the time comes. If there’s nothing else, you two should get going. If we don’t strike now, we may never get the chance.” 

Akihiko frowned, before checking the clock behind Mitsuru. “...You’re right. Yukari said she was already close to the venue.” He bowed, before heading out. “You coming, Aigis?” 

Aigis nodded, before walking out behind him. The two of them continued for a bit, before Akihiko sighed, rubbing his chin. 

“You think we’re doing the right thing?” He asked, calmly. “I know I need to trust Mitsuru, but…” 

“The Phantom Thieves are dangerous.” Aigis stated. “I attempted to talk with them, and they denied us. This is the most direct, and seemingly only option.” 

Akihiko sighed, before shaking his head. “...Right. Well, we’re nothing if we can’t count on each other. Let’s handle this like anything else. I’ll go on ahead. You head back and get things prepped.” He advised, before jogging on ahead, leaving Aigis behind. 

They were a focused, elite group. There wasn’t any room for doubt in the first place. 

Besides, it wasn’t like anything could go wrong. 

* * *

* * *

Something was very wrong.

Fuuka trembled, staring upwards towards the Kirijo Building, the files she had collected on the Phantom Thieves flush in her grasp. To the naked eye- to almost anyone- it was just another one of Kirijo’s massive complexes that solidified their place in Tokyo and furthermore, Japan’s ecosystem. Thirty stories, with Kirijo-san’s office at the very top. It was just a building. But… something was terribly, terribly wrong. 

She had come in with the intent of discussing the revised plan with Mitsuru-senpai. After all, it was a bit… violent, and a lot more direct compared to their usual tactics. She just wondered if it was a mistake. Or if they were planning on changing it later. 

**The Enemy. _Run_. The Enemy. No weaknesses. The Enemy. The Enemy. _The Enemy_.**

Juno chanted again and again within her mind. Her voice was nothing but a faint whisper that pricked at the back of her mind again and again. Warning again and again until someone took her advice. This was a feeling that was… practically indescribable. It was like she was staring at Tartarus, a place that swarmed with Shadows constantly, and had no sense of peace or understanding. And yet… it wasn’t a swarm. It wasn’t a collection of Shadows. 

It was one. 

One massive… thing that was covering the entire building. Tainting it. It was a force… something malevolent, clearly, but… hard to pinpoint. It was like… like… 

**  
_Nyx._  
**

But that couldn’t have been right. She knew what Nyx felt like, and she knew what Erebus felt like, and while this was similar. So… disturbingly similar to the point where she already felt both weakness shoot through her body, and an ungodly amount of determination and self-preservation pierce her mind, but it wasn’t the same. She watched as Akihiko exited the building, before looking over at her. There was a pause as they locked eyes before he calmly waved at her. 

“There you are, Yamagishi. Mitsuru was just asking about you. C’mon in.” He smiled. He was… Sanada-senpai. Clearly. She didn’t detect anything from him, but… he was in the center of whatever anomaly was going on, and he was somehow oblivious to it. She couldn’t trust that. She couldn’t take that risk. 

Akihiko raised an eyebrow. “Uh. Yamagishi? Are you okay? You look upset.” He took a step towards her. 

“No!” She squeaked. “I...I’m sorry, Sanada-senpai. I-I need to spend more time away… away researching. These… I have to spell-check… I think…” She stammered, slowly moving backward. He seemed confused, before chuckling a bit, albeit a bit awkwardly. 

“I guess that makes sense. Mitsuru can get pretty intense when it comes to spelling. Just… send them in when you can, okay? I mean, the plan is today, and I’d have some peace of mind about what we’re dealing with, even if it’s a few hours late.” He nodded, still seeming a bit concerned. He really didn’t seem to know. But Fuuka wasn’t sure that meant he was actively ignoring this aura, or his Persona just wasn’t tuned to sense it. 

“...S-Sanada-senpai…” Fuuka mumbled. 

“Yes, Yamagishi?” 

“Are you… feeling okay?” 

He paused, rubbing his chin, before shrugging. “I’m fine for the most part. Maybe a bit nervous. This is a bit different than the usual Shadow Operative operation, but that’s also the exciting part, you know?” He frowned, before glancing away. “...But… Yamagishi…” 

She didn’t look at him, her eyes glued to the sidewalk. “...Y-yes…?” 

“You’ve been doing intel, right? Are you sure the Phantom Thieves are… you know… threats?” There was a pause, before he sighed, his jaw set. There was a resolve in his eyes that seemed… familiar, but at the same time different than the fire that she usually saw in him. “Nevermind. I suppose it’s easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.” He turned around, before glancing back at her. “Get those files in soon. Stay safe, Yamagishi.” 

Fuuka nodded, before turning around. She waited a moment, listening for him to open up the doors to the building and head inside, before starting to walk back to her hotel. If there was a problem with her own teammates… then what was she supposed to do? It wasn’t like she knew anyone-- 

Alibaba. Alibaba was going to the Featherman Signing. And their plan… based on the revised version she had read earlier… she couldn’t let her do that, she couldn’t let Alibaba-chan end up hurt because of her friends. She whipped out her phone, thumbs frantically typing. 

* * *

* * *

Jeez. Lucia-chan was really blowing up her phone today. Futaba sat hunched on the subway, staring at her phone as she, Ren (and Morgana by extension), Haru, and Yusuke rattled towards the venue.

“Yeesh. ‘Don’t go, Alibaba-chan’. ‘It’s dangerous’. ‘I’m sorry’...” She must have been feeling major FOMO. But what was she apologizing about? Then again, Futaba also had the habit of apologizing for no reason when things seemed rough. Lucia probably just felt really upset about not being able to meet them there and started having a panic attack or something. Futaba grimaced. She wished she knew what to say. She glanced up at Ren, who was carefully holding Mona’s bag. Ren always knew what to say. She tugged on his shirt, as he glanced down calmly. 

“My friend is really nervous about not being able to meet us, I think, and I want to help them feel better. What should I say?” 

Ren seemed stumped for once, before adjusting his glasses. “Hm. Not sure. Just try to acknowledge their feelings while offering a solution. Like, if she’s upset about missing this thing, try and plan another date.” 

Morgana poked his head out of the bag. “Oh! Maybe offer her a souvenir too! She’s a fan like you, right?” 

Futaba nodded, before quickly typing up a response. “Thanks! I’ll tell her we can plan another time to get together, and also I’ll make sure I can get something signed for her.” That could settle things for the moment. The subway crawled to a stop, as Ren calmly took her hand. She wasn’t just some little kid, though, she could totally go everywhere on her own. But… at the same time, it was kind of cool that he was so protective. Definitely big brother vibes. 

She made a face. No matter what kind of vibes he gave off, the day she called him ‘Ren-nii’ would actually be the day she died. Besides, he reminded her more of her mom anyways. The way he would just get so… focused on stuff, and it got really hard to figure out what he was thinking, but at the same time gave off this weird caring energy. The glasses helped too, even though she was at least 90% sure they were fake. She felt him tug at her arm gently. 

“Come on, Futaba. You wanted to get there early, right?” He asked, in that weird ‘condescending parent-ish’ voice. Like she was a kid or something. Sojiro talked to her like that too. She knew it was just because they cared or whatever, but nobody online talked to her like that. She was a badass online. People typed the name ‘Alibaba’ into chat rooms with an air of fear and cautiousness. Besides, she wasn’t even that much younger than everyone else. 

“I’m not a kid!” She blurted out. “I turned 16 a couple of months ago!” He blinked, confused, before nodding. 

“Uh. I know, I know, but we seriously have to go. We’re blocking the subway doors.” 

She turned around, looking at the few disgruntled people staring at them both. Futaba squeaked, before shuffling out of the way. “...’Msorry…” She mumbled as Ren chuckled, gently patting her shoulder. 

“Let’s go. I think I saw a few Featherman fans on the subway. We should probably pick up the pace so they don’t beat us in line for autographs, yeah?” Ren stated, as the others nodded, starting to walk off. Yusuke already had a sketchbook tucked under his arm, idly spinning a pencil in his free hand. Futaba rolled her eyes, reaching to snatch the sketchbook from him, stumbling a bit as he yanked it away. 

“C’mon, Inari! Why are you even bringing that?” 

“I don’t have any Featherman merchandise. So my plan was to simply draw a portrait of Takeba-san and have her sign that instead.” He replied as if that was a totally normal thing. That was so weird! Feather Pink was totally going to hate that. She already probably had enough weirdos trying to cling to her and take pictures, and Inari was just going to sit there and draw her? For how long? 

Haru giggled. “That sounds very creative, Yusuke-kun. But don’t you think it might take too long? Takeba-san is surely going to have her hands full. You may not have time.” 

Yusuke tapped his chin with the pencil. “...I see. Perhaps I could do a rendition of the Featherman logo, then. Oh! Wait, I’ll draw as I walk. Ren, could I borrow your phone? I need to pull up a picture of Takeba-san.” 

Ren raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you have a phone?” 

“My phone died, and I had to sell my charger for food and some art supplies.” He replied matter-of-factly. Inari was… so embarrassing. Were they seriously about to introduce him to Famous Featherman Actress Takeba Yukari? That just seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. 

“If something bad happens… it’ll be your fault, Inari…” She muttered. 

Haru gasped. “Yusuke! That simply won’t do! If you needed help, you just needed to ask. I would be happy to buy you a new charger. Perhaps a new phone as well? What model is your current one…? 

Yusuke blushed. “Ah- there’s no need. I’m no charity case. There’s a gallery next week, and I’ve been up for a current total of 72 hours working on my next piece. Hopefully, I can get it submitted, and then someone may end up buying it. I should at least get a comfortable 12,000 yen from that after the gallery takes it cut, which should keep me held over until next month.” 

“...That’s… comfortable?” Haru seemed shocked. “Yusuke, I understand you’re staying in your dorm over the summer, but please don’t tell me you’ve been trying to live off of about 10,000 yen!” 

“Is… that an issue?” He asked, blinking. “Bean sprouts are very inexpensive, and most of it goes towards my supplies. It’s not as if I haven’t been drinking either. The tap water at Kosei is very convenien-” 

Haru looked like she was about to explode. Ren quickly played damage control, handing Yusuke his phone, a picture of Yukari already opened. “Here. I want to see how fast you can sketch a portrait, anyway. Haru, walk with me for a bit. Futaba, please make sure Yusuke doesn’t crash into anyone or anything. I’m counting on you.” He gently pulled Haru aside, as she and Yusuke walked next to each other. Yusuke attempted a strange balancing act where he attempted to walk, use the phone as a reference, and draw at the same time. It was incredibly fun to watch, but eventually, she got bored and tried to eavesdrop on the two other teenagers. 

“...He’s not going to take handouts…” She heard Ren say in a low voice to Haru as they walked. 

“...He has such a tight budget, I can…!” Haru responded, attempting to keep her voice low despite the clear distress in it. 

“...Be more subtle about it…just ask and see if he takes...” 

She watched as Haru’s eyebrows raised a bit, before nodding, as if Ren had just given her an incredibly dangerous and important mission. The two of them returned to the group, Haru with a determined expression on her face. 

“Yusuke! I would like to request a commission!” She said, emphatically. 

“I don’t take commissions.” He replied blandly, eyes focused on the sketchbook. 

“Yusuke! I would like to request you to draw something for me!” She tried again, slightly less emphatically. 

“Sure.” He replied, without missing a beat. 

Futaba opened her mouth to comment before Ren shook his head at her. Apparently, he just wanted to see how things played out. She guessed she could respect that, despite having a billion things she wanted to say about Inari. 

Haru continued. “I would like to pay you an hourly wage of 10,000-” Ren grimaced, shaking his head at her. “5,000-” Ren pinched his fingers together, mouthing ‘smaller’ to her. “...Um… 3000 yen an hour?” She finally said, as Ren nodded approvingly. Yusuke looked up for a moment. 

“That seems… excessive.” 

“It’s really not…” Futaba said under her breath. 

“I insist. And it’s only proper, don’t you agree?” 

“Just take her up on it, Yusuke,” Ren said, acting like he had absolutely nothing to do with this. “She’ll be upset if you don’t. May as well be a gentleman and take her offer.” He added flippantly, as they reached the venue. Apparently, word had gotten out fast- and a lot of the other fans seemed to have the idea she did about getting there early. Which… kind of sucked, because she had made sure to put out a few false dates onto forums hoping that some suckers would take the bait and end up missing the event. She fumbled in her pockets, pulling out a DVD. 

_‘Phoenix Ranger Featherman R: Wings of a Forgotten Galaxy’._ Specifically, the collectors' edition that came with a model bow, behind the scenes outtakes and interviews, and a code that added extra costumes to the tie-in video game. Takeba-san’s movie debut as Feather Pink. Scored a 76, but that was only because they had to get a new actor for Feather Green in that movie. After all, the current one was sick, and they didn’t make it clear that it was the same Feather Green. Also, the plot had like, a billion holes, but Takeba was amazing! She was so pretty, and there were like, a billion posts online praising how accurately she wielded her bow, the _‘Jiyu no Yumi’_. The actors in Featherman were always great, but somehow Takeba had this sort of… authenticity about her, like she had been fighting all her life or something. Honestly, a quick google search could reveal that she was in her school’s archery club, but there was something more ‘real’ about it. Like her experience wasn’t just with hitting lame wooden targets. She had this burning focus and held her bow in an entirely unique way. Like, if there was an apocalypse, she’d totally want to have Takeba-san alongside her. Anyways, long story short, she basically became a fan favorite instantly. 

So it totally made sense that this place would be packed as hell. She just wished she had gotten there earlier, but Inari was busy during the morning, Ren was off talking to that shady guy at that shop that sold toy weapons, and Haru was too nice to go without them. 

“Ah, Futaba-chan. Is that what you’re going to give Takeba-san to sign?” Haru asked as Yusuke continued to fumble along and Ren had to play damage control to the people he knocked into. 

“Yeah!” Futaba cheered excitedly. “I wanted to bring the model bow too, but I didn’t want to be that person who brought in a billion things to sign. I want Takeba-san to like me. Do you think Takeba-san will like me? I took like… five baths this morning, but then Sojiro got mad at me about using a lot of hot water, but this is the moment of my life!” 

Haru smiled, nodding. “It’s so fun to see you passionate like this! I’m sure Takeba-san will love you.” She reached in her bag, pulling out a worn, pink-ish Featherman figurine. 

Futaba’s eyes widened. “Woah! That’s a Season 3 ‘Feather Magenta’ figure, from the episode where Argus and Eagle merged their souls to gain the strength to defeat Feather Blue’s mind controlled form! That’s like, super rare! I heard it was only sold in stores for about a week, and every time a copy shows up online it gets sold instantly and for at least 3 million yen! How did you find that?!” 

“Uhm…” Haru looked at the figure, before shrugging. “My father got it for me on my 7th birthday. He said it was an apology for missing last year, and that he had spent a lot of time searching for it, and had it in his collection for a while… he was always into weird shows like this...“ She laughed, half-heartedly. “I suppose I was a bit more into Featherman then than I was now, but I always kept it. I never knew exactly what to do with it though.” 

Futaba paused for a moment, before looking around. “...Well, you have to put it away first! Who knows what these guys’ll do if they see it.” She suggested, as Haru slowly put it away as they started to push through the crowd. Despite Haru being considerably shorter than most of the people there, she seemed to be much heartier, the four Thieves (five counting Morgana, but he had chosen to sneak inside so the security didn’t catch him) pushing through the crowd with relative ease before suddenly hitting a long line. 

“...This seems tedious…” Ren mumbled. “And… kind of sweaty.” 

“More time for me to finish my portrait. I’m satisfied.” Yusuke replied, eyes down in his sketchbook. 

“This isn’t about you two!” Haru huffed. “We’re here for Futaba-chan. Speaking of, how do you feel about this line, Futaba-chan…?” 

“It feels great! This is what convention life is like! Long lines! Hot cosplay in every sense imaginable! The sweat! The tears! The pure otaku energy!” She grinned, clapping her hands together. “Awright! I’m pumped! This is the best day ever!” 

* * *

* * *

This was the worst day ever.

No… that was a bit of an exaggeration. It was a bit heartwarming to see just… how popular she was, and for the first hour or so, taking pictures and posing with fans: be them little kids in plastic masks, or fans in detailed costumes, was actually kind of fun. 

Besides, the plan was simple. They were going to take this chance to separate the Phantom Thief from his group for a bit, talk to him, and then comfortably return him to his friends before the day was over. Easy, straightforward, and pretty on-brand. She hadn’t signed up for anything crazy today. Well. Outside of this. 

But still, she was having trouble figuring out how Mitsuru managed to get her off filming so quickly, and secondly, she didn't know why she hadn't put up more of a protest to the event. Being famous wasn't exactly her forte, and while the attention was nice at first, she kind of missed being able to go places without people following her around. 

...Although that wasn't too different from high school, in retrospect. 

She signed what had seemed to be the tenth body pillow of her (which was just as creepy as it sounded- when did those even get made?), and rattled off what seemed to be the thousandth catchphrase. 

Of course, her internal musing was cut off by a voice in her earpiece, snapping her back to attention. "...That's him." Mitsuru's voice crackled. 

She looked around the crowd. "What? Where? I don't-" 

"Tall, unkempt hair. Glasses. Standing next to a young man with blue-tinted hair, and the Okumura heir." 

She looked, before spotting a group of four teenagers. She recognized Okumura and Amamiya, along with two others. He seemed relatively uninterested, mainly just guiding a younger girl with dyed orange hair around. The blue-haired boy seemed to be drawing… something. He wasn’t even paying attention to what was going on around him. She didn’t know if she was supposed to be amused or offended. Probably neither. He looked really intense. 

Yukari frowned slightly. "How does he know Okumura again? I guess he may have become friends with her after she expressed faith in the Phantom Thieves... oh, hang on Mitsuru." She watched as another fan walked up to the booth, clutching a shirt. 

"I'm Takeba Yukari!" She said, smiling. 

"I know." He replied, deadpan. 

Her smile faltered for a second. Hoo boy. She took the shirt, unfurling it before grimacing. That was just straight Featherman hentai, did he seriously think she was going to bother with this? To make it worse, it wasn’t even the right Feather Pink. "Sorry, I can't-" 

"Just sign it! It's my favorite! Besides, I’m sure you’ve signed worse shi-" The fan yelled, before a muscular man in a red Featherman costume decked the fan in the face, watching as he crumpled to the ground. Yukari winced. 

"Too much, Sanada-senpai!" She whispered, as the fighter slowly dragged the fan out of the way of the line. 

Sanada Akihiko was a bruiser, which was why he was chosen to be Yukari's 'bodyguard', despite the fact that she could handle herself. Outside of that obvious reason, he was also there to make sure Yukari would be okay and to assist with separating the Phantom Thief. "Sorry, Takeba. But good news, it set an example.” 

It… did, actually. A few people nervously shifted on their feet, and a couple of others were frantically searching for other things to sign. Which was… interesting, in a bad way. There was no way these guys were seriously expecting her to draw porn, right? 

She sighed, as the small group that the Phantom Thief belonged to made their way to the booth. The young girl with glasses stared at Yukari for a moment. "C-c-c-could I? ...Oh, man, she's so pretty- Ren she’s so-- ohmygod- sorry! Wait! Can I- please- canyoupleasesignthis?" She fumbled in her bag, pulling out a special edition copy of her first Featherman R movie, still in the box. 

If this weren’t a public event, she’d be cringing. This movie actually sucked. A few people had asked her to sign it as a joke- usually a signature and asking for her to recite one of the incredibly hamfisted and corny lines of dialogue afterward, but this girl seemed totally sincere about it. 

"Of course! And who do I sign it to?" She asked, twirling a pen between her fingers. 

"F-Futaba! Please?" The poor girl was practically quivering. Yukari watched as Ren put a hand on her shoulder and whispered something under his breath. The girl- Futaba nodded- before taking a few deep breaths. "It really is a pleasure to meet you, Takeba-san! I've been a super big fan of Featherman for a really long time!" She managed to get out, before looking up at the Ren with a confident smile on her face. He nodded in response. 

Yukari chuckled. Maybe he wasn't so bad of a person. Once this was over, she might just be able to ask to talk to him. Besides, there was something… familiar about him. The way he put others at ease. She took a breath, before taking the box, signing it before glancing up once more to see that one of the teenagers was furiously sketching her. "...Can I help you?" 

The artist looked up from his sketching. "My apologies. It's just that expression... a mix of curiosity and apprehension! I was drawing you from an online photo beforehand, but seeing you in person- I just had to use you for a candid model, but I suppose the moment has passed. Although, if you wouldn't mind signing this, I'd be flattered. Apparently, you're very important." 

Futaba elbowed the artist in the ribs, yelling at him about 'saying something weird', as the Okumura heir handed her a very old Featherman figure. The younger girl bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I'd be honored if you could sign this. It was a present from my father, from his personal collection." Yukari stared at it for a moment, before carefully finding a spot along the arm and signing her name. Haru smiled, before taking the figurine back. "Thank you very much, and please excuse my friends." 

Yukari glanced over to the two bickering children, as Amamiya tried to pry them apart with little success. "Well, they're certainly unique. Although could I ask you something, Oku-" 

"He's distracted. This is our chance to capture the Phantom Thief." Rang Mitsuru's voice over the earpiece. 

That was new. And also… not what they discussed. "...Wait, what? Capture? I thought we were going to-" 

"Commencing distraction now." She heard Aigis' monotone voice comment, before all of the lights cut out, and all hell broke loose. 

* * *

* * *

There was a distinct moment between him trying not to make too much of a scene in this crowd, and him being suddenly punched and subsequently being carried off by a man in a Featherman costume, and every part of it was equally upsetting. Ren had just suddenly felt gripped between someone's arms like a football (which was at least some sort of testament to how strong his captor was), and suddenly being carted off away from his friends. His glasses clattered to the ground behind them as he continued to be stolen away. Damn. He liked those. Not like he desperately needed them, but they were still kind of expensive.

He closed his eyes, his third eye trying to get a read on the situation. His captor practically glowed red, so bright that it made his eyes hurt. This wasn't just some nobody, this was a legitimately strong individual. Probably with a Persona. Which meant escaping would be tricky. The other thing he could see was a cat-like form darting between people, desperately trying to catch up. Morgana had gone in through a separate entrance, so he had probably crawled in through a window, or some of the ventilation. Either way, he was making much more progress than his three friends, who were fumbling about in the dark. Chances are they were just noticing he was gone. 

With his third eye still active, he scanned the crowd. Of course, the Emperor, Empress, and Hermit cards hovered above his respective friends, but he could swear that Takeba-san had ‘The Lovers’ tarot as well. Although it seemed different than Ann’s. 

"Joker! I'm coming!" Morgana cried, crawling between some very confused Featherman fans as he started to close in. His small paws skittered across the floor before he started leaping and using different cosplay props to pull himself up to the upper layer of the crowd, jumping across the heads of now extremely confused Featherman fans. 

Well, when in doubt, attempt to summon a Persona. This could be counted as a ‘stressful situation’, right? 

He closed his eyes, trying to well up the same feeling he had when summoning in the Metaverse. A sudden jerk to the right broke his concentration. "I can't focus! Morgana, get back to the others!" He yelled back, before his attacker's free hand clamped over his mouth, leaving him prone. He had a pocket knife in his pants- well, a swiss army knife, but it could still stab good. If he could just get a second of free reign, he could reach it and begin a counterattack. He wriggled around for a moment longer, before he was nearly blinded by a sudden burst of sunlight. They were outside. He tried focusing on his Persona again- maybe a weaker Persona could do the trick. Less power, less concentration. He squeezed his eyes shut before he heard a voice whisper next to him. 

_"I am thou. Thou art I. And thou seem, like, totally boned."_

He opened his eyes at the sound of a taunting, feminine voice. 

Yep. Pixie. Classy as always. 

The fairy-like Persona trailed along next to them, still as smug as ever. 'Zio.' He thought before the Persona held out her fingers, and a bolt of lightning struck the captor. And... nothing happened. Pixie quickly faded away as the masked man looked down out of slight confusion, having noticed at least some attempt at resistance and Ren starting to feel drained both physically and spiritually. He was flung into a car, crashing into the opposite end with a grunt, as he fumbled into his pocket for his knife. 

He whipped it out, backing against the opposite seat as the Featherman stared at him from the open door. "Well, if you're gonna fight, then fight." He taunted, almost sounding exciting about him struggling. Ren paused for a moment, before jabbing the knife in one of the seats, yanking the blade down and ripping the stuffing out in a cloud between them, as he opened up the door on the other side and made an attempt to sprint out. 

Of course, today was not his day. 

He ran into what seemed to be a metal wall, before looking and seeing what seemed to be a blonde high school girl grab him by the throat, and slowly push him back into the car. No normal person was that strong. He looked around wildly, his vision a bit blurry from the hard hit, he could see the faint forms of Yusuke and Haru (he could only really tell Haru due to her hair, and made a general assumption of who the tall kid was behind her). Did they see him? He could only manage half a yell before he was fully inside the vehicle, trapped next to the blurry girl and the Featherman. 

"Good work, Aigis. The kid is definitely slippery if anything." The Featherman commented, "And I could have sworn he tried attacking me." 

"He was in possession of a knife." The girl- Aigis- commented. She gripped his wrist, twisting it until he was forced to let go of the blade. He tried to yank his arm away, hearing a pop and a sharp pain shooting through his arm as she hardly budged, and his shoulder popped from its socket. Ren grit his teeth, still trying to pull his grip away, dark shadow starting to cover his face as he attempted another summoning. The girl quickly stopped this with a solid punch to the face, the force sending him flat on his back in the back seat of the car. 

"Ren! Ren! Hang on!” He heard, as there was a soft _thump_ on the roof of the car. Morgana. 

He paused, hoping they didn't hear. The girl looked up. "There is another lifeform here. Feline, based on purely audio-based information. Although..." 

Shit. He tilted his head up, screaming. "Morgana, get off of there! Get back to the others!" He yelled, a new form of desperation creeping into his face, before turning his attention to the girl. This wasn’t like Niijima’s Palace. They didn’t have a plan for this- he didn’t have a plan for this. A year of dancing around Shadows and taking down corruption, and right now he was feeling just as helpless as he did at the beginning of the school year. The girl’s hand was pointing towards the roof, her fingertips… gone? Replaced with small holes. Barrels. Her hand turned into a gun. 

_What?_

"Detecting traits similar to a Shadow. Firing now." 

"Joker, I got this! Mercurius! Garudyne!" 

Garudyne? Ren could barely manage a low-level Zio, and this showboat was attempting a Garudyne? He closed his eyes, as he felt the wind pick up around the car. The car wobbled, tires screeching as it tried to get back on track, the driver gripping at the wheel. 

“Aigis, take care of that! What the hell kind of ability…?” 

The girl nodded, before a sudden gunshot next to him went off, clearing a hole in the roof of the car and sending his companion bouncing backwards onto the street. He screamed, his heart beating in his ears. 

Ren grit his teeth, tears starting to prick at the corners of his eyes. He was supposed to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves, and he was the one that had gotten stolen- every option he tried ending in failure. How pathetic was that? Worst off, Morgana was hurt… maybe even dead, depending on where that shot hit. 

“No… No, you won’t get away with this!” He lunged towards the girl, furiously, foolishly attempting a strike to the face. 

“I expected better from the Leader of the Phantom Thieves.” The girl said, in an eerily monotone voice. 

His wrist was caught with ease, before being yanked forwards and caught by a much harder headbutt he was expecting. He felt the blood spurt from his nose, his head ringing as the world started spiraling around him. His collar was grabbed, before being yanked forwards again, her forehead colliding with him once more. 

Then, things went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... here's a fun fact after that. We've finally caught up with CHAPTER 4 of the original. And I think we've passed the total word count of the original too.
> 
> Not like word count means much, but I did think it was kind of neat.
> 
> Another note, I've been trying to think about the 'voices' of Personas throughout the fic. This isn't a fic where Personas are very talkative, but they can communicate with their 'other selves' somewhat, so I've just been considering the guidelines for that.


	12. Scrambled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was all a dream.

_”Yongen-Jaya, now approaching Yongen-Jaya.”_

Ren’s eyes fluttered open. He looked around the busy subway car, packed with people. People. His breathing started to pick up, as he tried to ascertain his surroundings. Wait... Why was he in a subway car? Everybody here seemed normal, but-- 

“Jeez, I’m glad you finally woke up. We could have missed our stop!” Morgana mewed, nudging into the boy. “After all, the Chief and Futaba would be upset if we didn’t show. I’m sure they’ve got our room prepped and everything!” 

Ren frowned, before looking down at Morgana. “Wait- Mona, are you okay?” 

The cat’s ears twitched. “Uhm… why wouldn’t I be okay?” 

“You were shot and--” 

Morgana rolled his eyes, before wriggling out of the carrying bag he was in, comfortably resting on Ren’s lap. “Jeez. What kind of dream did you have? I know you’re anxious about seeing everyone again, but you should really try and get better rest…” Ren slowly placed his hands on Morgana’s stomach. That robot girl… he definitely remembered Morgana getting shot in the chest. That… that had to be real, right? 

He slowly got to his feet, trying to remain calm. His ears picked up the news broadcast droning in the background. 

_”The new IT enterprise ‘Maddice’ has announced their first-quarter earnings as the most profitable in the company's history. Their stock prices are consistently rising, no doubt due to their incredibly successful A.I concierge service, EMMA.”_

...Maddice? He didn’t remember hearing about them when he was last on the subway. He knew a company like that existed, but all that stuff about A.I was totally new to him. 

Morgana sighed, hopping onto Ren’s shoulders. “Still… it really has been a while since we’ve seen everyone. I’m actually getting a bit nervous.” He chuckled. “That’s not really like me, is it?” 

Ren paused. So… they were just now getting to see everyone again? But-- that didn’t-- 

“I-I’m looking forward to it…” Ren managed to stutter out. 

“But isn’t it a bit exciting?” Morgana continued. “The Phantom Thieves, finally coming back together! Oh- here we are!” The car slowed to a halt, as the subway doors opened, and the two of them shuffled their way out of the subway and onto the cramped pathways of Yongen-Jaya. It would have been nostalgic, if Ren hadn’t been incredibly used to ‘returning’ to this site already. Morgana stretched, arching his back. 

“Aaah! The atmosphere of Yongen-Jaya. It’s only really been half a year, but it brings back so many memories. Well-” Morgana’s tail lightly hit the back of Ren’s head. “Let’s get moving. Can’t keep the Chief waiting. I wonder how he’s doing…” 

Ren took a tentative step forward, before looking around. This actually didn’t make sense. He had already been back here for about a week already. He had already seen his friends, but now everyone-- 

“Come on, Ren! What are you standing around for?” Morgana asked, batting the side of his head with a paw. “You can’t start getting cold feet now!” 

Ren nodded, slowly, before starting to walk to the cafe. He already knew where it was by heart. He stopped a few feet short of LeBlanc, before strengthening his resolve and continuing on, placing his hand on the handle. He pulled open the door, faced with a dark, empty cafe. Everything was where it should be. The Sayuri hung in the same spot, the coffee makers had barely moved. Although… this was the middle of the day, right? Wasn’t LeBlanc supposed to be open? Or at least… prepared for opening. He heard a quiet voice come from one of the seemingly empty booths. 

“Ready, set…” 

Ren tensed, starting to back up slightly. 

The lights snapped on as he was met with the sound of party poppers and the sight of confetti and streamers shooting into the air as his friends appeared from various hiding spots in the cafe with a chorus of ‘Welcome home’! Ren blinked, surprised and covered with confetti, as Ryuji came bounding over to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. 

“Whadd’ya think? Surprised?” The blond boy said, grinning. Ren was… surprised. So that wasn’t an unfair assumption. Just… not in the way Ryuji was probably thinking. 

“I… uh…” 

Futaba rushed over to him, excited. “I’ve been waiting to see you!” 

“It’s been quite a while.” Yusuke calmly noted. 

Haru giggled. “Have you gotten taller?” 

“You’re looking well. I’m glad.” Makoto said, smiling. 

Ann approached the two of them, before happily rubbing Morgana’s head. “You’re looking well too, Morgana!” 

The group quietly began chattering amongst each other, as Ann laughed happily. “Still, our surprise was a big success! The look on your face, Ren!” 

“I can’t believe you did something like this!” Morgana mewed. 

Ryuji shrugged. “C’mon! It wouldn’t be any fun if we didn’t do somethin’ special for you, yeah? So we had Boss let us in before LeBlanc opened.” 

Sojiro had been at the counter, watching the teens with a content smile. “Well, aren’t you looking healthy. Guess they’ve been taking good care of you out there.” 

“Y-yeah…” Ren mumbled. 

“It's only been a few months, but it’s felt a lot longer. Guess time really does fly, yeah?” He rubbed his beard, before shrugging. “Well, I’m sure you kids have a lot to talk about. Head on upstairs. I need to open the cafe, anyways.” 

Ren tentatively looked over at the staircase leading to his room. Sojiro chuckled. 

“What’s that hesitation for? It’s your room. Do as you will.” 

“Thanks…” Ren said, still looking around for some kind of inconsistency. “I… am in your care.” 

Sojiro raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. Guess you’re still a bit strange. Whatever.” 

“Awright!” Futaba cheered, before she sprinted towards the steps. “To the hideout!” 

The group all made their way up the steps, before sitting down and talking in Ren’s room like everything was normal. Ren’s brow furrowed. Everything seemed normal. This actually seemed like the ideal. He was hanging out with his friends, there was nobody bothering him, and things seemed like they were shaping up to result in a fun, peaceful summer vacation. The group was happily talking about planning a road trip, arguing about where they wanted to go and excitedly talking about the places they wanted to eat at. 

“No.” Ren finally spoke up. The room fell silent. 

“Uhh… Ren? What’re you talking about?” Ann asked, confused. 

“Perhaps Ren doesn’t want barbeque?” Yusuke mused. 

“I’m not going on a trip. We still have to train with Maya-sensei and Suou-sensei.” He added. 

“Who the eff are they? Train? It’s summer break, man! Why’re you so tense?” Ryuji leaned backwards in his seat, folding his arms. “Jeez. You look so serious.” 

He stood up, before shaking his head. “This isn’t real. It seems real. I want it to be real. But we still have things to do, and they don’t involve a road trip.” 

Makoto got up, before tentatively approaching Ren. “...Are you okay? Listen- if you need help, we’re here for you.” 

He slowly started to walk towards the steps, before Ryuji grabbed his wrist. 

“The hell is wrong with you, man?! We’re all gettin’ together, and now you’re actin’ like a major-league douchebag! You can’t just walk out! Everyone’s happy to see you!” 

Haru tilted her head, worriedly. “Ren-kun, if you want to talk--” 

“There’s nothing to talk about. If you want to hit me, Ryuji. Hit me. Maybe it’ll help me wake up faster.” Ren snapped back. Ryuji seemed taken aback, his grip loosening on Ren’s wrist. 

There was a low rumble, as they all heard the sound of something cracking, before a sudden shout came from downstairs. Cracks started to form in the wood, slowly snaking along as the Phantom Thieves suddenly got up, their expressions growing tense. 

_**”So this is your choice. Good. I was hoping you’d face reality, as cliche as it is. I wasn’t done playing this little Game with you.”** _

A voice Ren didn’t recognize clung to the back of his head. Piercing it. He dropped to his knees, his hands pressed against his temples. 

A deep, echoing laugh slowly shook the streets of Yongen-Jaya, the small province collapsing before Ren’s eyes. LeBlanc began crumbling, bits and pieces of it breaking away into nothingness as his friends clung onto various pieces of furniture, all of them panicking and reaching out for each other. 

Before it all went still. All of his friends' eyes dulled, before they all slowly turned to Ren. 

**”Ren.** They all droned in unison. The stillness seemed even worse than the ‘earthquake’, or whatever was going on. He felt all of their gazes bore into him, pulling at him as he slowly backed towards the door to LeBlanc, before all of their mouths split open, letting out an ear-splitting screech. 

**”Wake. Up!”**

The world around him snapped away as he was yanked back into the harsh plane of reality. Bright lights shined in his eyes, leaving him practically blinded. The buzz of the lights drilling into his ears. His hands were tied behind his back, pressed up against a cold, metal chair, his hair clung to his face, slicked with sweat. His mouth felt dry, and the metallic taste of blood stained his mouth. 

He looked up, seeing a stern-looking woman with red-tinted sunglasses and long, red hair staring straight at him. 

“Did you enjoy your little nap?” She asked, dryly. 

He blinked, before coughing slightly. “I… where… wh..” 

“You’ll regain your bearings in time. My apologies for the restraints, but my associates said you tried to attack them with a knife. I don’t want to take any chances, I’m sure you understand.” She continued, essentially ignoring him, before drumming her fingers against the stainless steel table that sat between the two of them. Her nails clicking rhythmically, every so often one of them suddenly scraping against the metal, the sound causing him to wince. 

This was giving him deja vu in the worst way possible. Her lips slowly curled into a smirk. 

“My name is Kirijo Mitsuru. Head of the Kirijo Group, and current leader of the Shadow Operatives. It seems we have a _lot_ to talk about, Amamiya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> April Fools! This is literally just a rewrite of the opening of Persona 5 Scramble.
> 
> The real next chapter will be up tomorrow!


	13. Axe to Grind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team tries to plan. Fuuka makes contact. The Thieves change up their style. Yusuke and Haru die.

"It's not your fault, Futaba. It sounds like there were a ton of circumstances out of your control." Makoto reasoned, gently consoling the whimpering girl.

"It is!" Futaba wailed. "I-I shouldn't have taken him to that st-stupid Featherman thing! Now he's been kidnapped, and can't use his powers, and Mona is hurt, and--!" She covered her face with a pillow, curling more into a pathetic ball on Ren's bedspread. 

"I'm... fine, Futaba." The cat winced, laying on the foot of Ren's bed. Based on Haru and Yusuke’s recounting of events, it turned out that Morgana was far from fine. Whatever he had been shot by was strong, and effective. Takemi had suggested to take him to a vet, and was incredibly hesitant to look at him at first, but eventually relented. "I just... overestimated how much power I'd be using..." He scratched at a bandage across his chest. "Besides, Takemi-san fixed me up pretty good…” Despite that, it seemed like Morgana was at least trying to be brave. 

"We would have been able to find Ren easily if I hadn’t taken his cell phone" Yusuke mused to himself, his expression intense. Makoto frowned. They had felt… helpless before, but this was new. She had rushed to LeBlanc as soon as Haru called her, barely able to parse out what happened through how panicked the heiress sounded. Of course, when she did find out what happened, she wasn’t exactly sure how to feel. Upset, obviously, but Ren wouldn’t have wanted her to collapse and just whine about it. They’d been in tight spots before, but… really, without their leader, it felt like they were missing something important. It didn’t matter how many plans she could come up with, he was the moral center of the entire group. 

“...It’s not your fault either, Yusuke. You couldn’t have predicted this.” Makoto 

Yusuke’s sharp gaze shot over to her. Cold as ice. “So what! We should have been more careful! We were well aware that Ren was being monitored, and that we were being monitored as well, and yet we…” He chuckled dryly, slumped against the wall. “I see… this is reminiscent of the despair when he turned himself in. Although at least we could trust Japan’s legal system to some extent… I was upset then but now I just feel… empty.” 

That made sense. Besides, it wasn’t like any of them could just… charge and fight whoever took Ren. This was a premeditated plan, and based on Morgana’s account, one of them shrugged off a Persona skill like it was nothing. Weak attack or not, one would expect a lightning skill to at least shock the average person. Makoto stared at her hands, before clenching them. 

Where _were_ you, Anat? Clearly, she couldn’t handle this by herself. 

Haru sighed. “...I see. It’s impossible for our time as Phantom Thieves to truly fade from the world. Even without our identities being public, Ren-kun will always have a target on his back.” Her lip quivered. “That isn’t fair, though! He had to give up his identity in order to take down Shido and protect us, but now he isn’t allowed to live a normal life?” 

There was a solid period of silence before the group heard the door to LeBlanc burst open. The sudden thudding footsteps upstairs before Ryuji and Ann stood before them, both of them out of breath. 

“We came as soon as we heard!” Ann said, worried. “Something happened to Ren? Where is he?” 

The two of them looked distraught. Ryuji wasn’t exactly the best dresser, he at least had some sort of consistency. Today was a bit different. His shirt was wrinkled, his shoes were untied, and his socks were different colors. His eyes were wide, his shoulders heaving as if he had put all of his energy into just getting to LeBlanc. Ann fared a bit better. The only thing ‘off’ about her was that she didn’t take the time to tie her hair into her regular pigtails, and she looked… about as stressed as Ryuji did. 

The group looked at the two of them, before Futaba crawled out from under Ren’s covers, sliding onto the floor in a heap. “...He got kidnapped. And I don’t know who. I mean, I could try hacking into the security cameras and see if we could get some extra information but… nothing. I also tried getting in contact with that Amada guy, Ann, but he hasn’t been replying to my messages. I thought you said he liked you?” 

“He did!” Ann whined. 

Ryuji sighed. “But… if we can’t get in contact with that Amada guy, that’s a problem. He’s our only lead, outside of that… girl? What was her name? Ages? Mavis? Agnes?” 

“Aigis.” Ann reminded him. “...That’s a pretty uncommon name though. Definitely not Japanese, and based on my experience I can’t imagine it’s very common in the west either.” She looked hopefully towards Futaba. “Do you think you can try and look her up? She’s blonde, with really sharp blue eyes. Maybe if we can learn more about her, then we can get a read on who took Ren!” 

Ryuji slumped against the wall next to Yusuke, groaning. "Was there some kinda motive? We might not even be sure they were after Ren. Maybe they were trying to grab Takeba and grabbed Ren instead?" 

Yusuke frowned. "While Ren has the slim build that could be mistaken for a lithe, feminine actress under certain circumstances, if he was the wrong target then he'd most likely be returned once the mistake was noticed. Perhaps the kidnappers are a few remnant supporters of Shido?" 

"Nah," Ryuji commented. "I thought we squashed that once we got rid of Mementos. Best guess is that these people know that he's a Phantom Thief, which is... bad." He rubbed his chin, grimacing. "I don't want him to go through a repeat of Sae's palace." 

The group fell into an even harsher silence after that. Makoto’s brow furrowed. Ren was never very… talkative to begin with, but he seemed to refuse to talk about his time in Sae’s palace seriously. He would sometimes make some vague joke about ‘coming back from the dead’ or being a ghost, but he seemed to refuse to approach the subject with any amount of sincerity. It wasn’t like they were blind. When her sister dropped Ren off, he was covered in bruises. He walked with a slight limp. Makoto even realized that he was slouching less just so that he didn’t seem as beat up. Nonetheless, while Ren was strong, he wasn’t immortal, or superhuman. That interrogation room had him getting apparently beaten and battered by regular human beings who didn’t even know the extent of what the Phantom Thieves were up to, and now he was being held against his own will by a group that apparently knew he was a Phantom Thief, and enough about their group to send several operatives out to closely survey them, and to stage an event that Ren was at least guaranteed to come to. 

“...Just who are we dealing with?” Makoto whispered, before hearing the clacking of a keyboard next to her. She looked to her side, watching as Futaba was violently searching away on her laptop, her eyes red. The group watched her in silence, letting her work without interruption. 

“...Tatsumi Port Island.” Futaba whispered. 

“Wuzzat?” Ryuji muttered, glancing up. 

“Aigis. Transferred to Gekkoukan High School at Tatsumi Port Island. Not sure from where though. Noted as sixteen years old.” 

Yusuke drummed his fingers against his leg, eyes focused down on the hardwood floor of Ren’s attic room. “That was fast.” 

Futaba’s eyes stayed glued to the screen, still typing. “Ann was right. ‘Aigis’ isn’t a common name. It’s a mythological shield wielded by the Gods. Not something you’d usually name your kid. Not here, not America, not even Greece.” She adjusted her glasses. “Finding at least a picture of her was easy, and it seems the only real picture was from Gekkoukan’s yearbook. There’s only one weird thing though. Ann and Ryuji said she was a high schooler…” 

“Yeah?” Ann tilted her head, curiously. “Why?” 

Futaba clicked her tongue. “She graduated in 2010. That means she’s at least 20-something, right?” 

Ann walked over, hopping on the bed next to Futaba and looking at the screen. Her eyes widened. “...Wait, no way…! That’s her yearbook picture? Either she has really good moisturizer, or she literally hasn’t aged a day.” She looked over at Ryuji, gesturing for him to come over. “You have to see this.” 

Ryuji hopped up, wandering over to the laptop before taking a step back in shock after seeing the screen. “The hell?! She legit looks the same? But… that don’t make any damn sense.” 

Makoto got up, looking over Futaba’s shoulder. The girl certainly stood out, and it wasn’t just because her features were more European than her peers. There was a… rigidness to her, almost robotic. Perhaps she had a relative in the military? Makoto rubbed her chin. 

“Futaba. Can you see if Amada-san also went to Gekkoukan?” 

“Already on it, _Hasha-paisen_!” 

Makoto frowned. “Don’t call me-” She sighed, shaking her head. Well, at least Futaba was getting her sense of humor back. 

“He’s a current student. Third-year. I’m trying to find some sort of common thread but… he’d be in grade school when this ‘Aigis’ person was in high school. Logically, they shouldn’t know each other…” 

Makoto nodded. “Do you think you could spend some more time searching? I’d rather not be at a disadvantage as far as information goes.” 

Ryuji stood up, stretching. “We’re gonna be trainin’ today, right? Let’s see if we can get everyone in fightin’ shape! I wanna go for Ren as soon as possible. After all, we’ve got no effin’ clue what these people are plannin’. They shot Mona! These are more than just some small-time punks. Although, maybe Ann an’ I are strong enough to storm the place ourselves…” 

“Not a chance, Ryuji!” Ann said, sharply. “We’re not going to risk our lives without a plan. Listen, I want Ren back as much as you do, but he’d want us to be prepared. Although… it might be weird preparing a mission without him…” 

Morgana rolled over. “Mm. Yeah. After all, he always handled the weapons and armor. I think he told me at some point that some of our weapons were made from executed Personas…” 

Ryuji blinked. “That’s… dark. So like, I’ve got a dead Persona in my closet?” 

“That’s awfully brutal…” Haru murmured. 

“If Personas are reflections of one’s heart… perhaps we should spend some time talking with Ren. I’m no therapist but…” 

Makoto cleared her throat. “Ren’s potentially worrying mental health aside, we’re going to need to approach this cautiously. If you all still have the weapons Ren gave you, I’d suggest getting them. They may only be models, but I’d rather train with something instead of nothing. 

“Something popped up.” Futaba said, suddenly, eyes flicking up briefly from her laptop screen. 

“Now isn’t the time to joke around, Futaba.” 

“I’m not. It’s from Lucia-chan. It says ‘you’re going to need more than just toy weapons’.” There was a pause before Futaba gripped the edges of her laptop. “Wait! Oi! How do you know what we’re talking about? Did you bug this place?! Did you bug my laptop?!” Another pause. “No- no don’t just type sorry- you can write it in as many different kinds of _kana_ as you want, that doesn’t mean I don’t want an explanation-- Lucia-chan! Lucia-chan!” 

Makoto raised an eyebrow. “...’Lucia-chan’?” 

“Futaba-chan’s online friend, I think?” Haru offered. “Although… if she was involved, that may be the reason why she seemed so resistant in regards to us going to the Featherman event. She may have had second thoughts about their plan…” 

Makoto looked back at Futaba, who was furiously typing away. 

“I’m calling you on Stryfe, Lucia-chan! You better pick up!” The girl shouted, before 

_”H-Hello…?”_ Came an incredibly nervous voice from the laptop. She sounded a bit older than the rest of the group though. _”O-oh, uh, good evening.”_

“It’s not a good evening, Lucia-chan!” Futaba cried out. 

_”...Right. I really am sorry, Alibaba-chan. Things seem to be getting a bit more… intense.”_

Makoto approached the laptop, folding her arms. “So, you’re ‘Lucia-chan’? I’m--” 

_”Niijima Makoto. Younger sister to Niijima Sae. A recent graduate of Shujin Academy. Trains in aikido on the weekends during the school year, and four days a week during the summer.”_ There was a pause before the woman on the other end sighed. _”We’ve been observing your movements for a while. Sorry. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts are a pretty hot topic.”_

“Uh, not to butt in or nothin’, but who is ‘we’?” Ryuji asked. “Do you and your little posse know that we’re… y’know…” 

_”They don’t know for sure. You’re all under suspicion, but I’m the only one with definite proof. I just… haven’t turned it in.”_

“You haven’t turned it in _yet_ ” Ann said, pointedly. 

_”I-I need to think some things over first! I just--”_

The teens heard the door to LeBlanc swing open before several sets of footsteps entered. They grew silent, waiting for some kind of comment. 

“Kids? It’s us!” Maya’s usual cheery tone cut through the air. “Do you mind if we talk for a bit? 

_”...Handle what they have for you right now. I’ll stay up here and speak to Alibaba-chan. I think I can give you some information that may be of interest.“_

Makoto glanced at Futaba, trying to gauge a reaction. Futaba frowned, before looking up at the rest of the group, nodding. “Don’t worry. I’ll probably be the only one who’ll understand whatever Lucia-chan wants to give us. Lucia-chan, you might be the help we need to win this!” 

“Provided we can trust you.” Yusuke added. 

A shaky laugh came from the laptop. _”You’re all certainly… confident. Then again, I suppose we weren’t too different back then… still, once you’re done down there, I would like to talk and ask you about something. Please.”_

Haru sighed. “I suppose so…” 

“Again- who the hell is ‘we’?” Ryuji asked, folding his arms. 

“Now isn’t the time for that,” Morgana said, slowly shifting into a sitting position. “I’ll be here to help Futaba.” 

“We’ll have plenty of time to ask her questions later. Let’s see what the adults have for us.” Makoto said, before gesturing for the rest of the group to follow her down the steps. 

The Phantom Thieves gathered by the attic stairway in LeBlanc, watching as the five adults sat calmly at the booths. 

“Evening, Phantom Thieves,” Katsuya said, calmly. “I hope we didn’t interrupt anything, but we decided to make some adjustments in regards to the training program we’ve been using so far.” 

“Uh, ain’t one of you missin’?” Chie asked, pointing at the group. “No, wait. We’re missin’ three of you. Forgot about the cat. Guess that ain’t a lot, but still… wouldn’t it be easier if everyone was here?” 

Lisa sighed, shrugging. “It can’t be helped. Teenagers are busy. Especially during the summer.” 

Makoto cleared her throat again, before stepping forwards. “Actually… things are a bit more intense than just one of us slacking off to enjoy summer vacation. Ren’s been taken by some unknown group, and we need to train in order to try and stage an infiltration to get him back.” 

"That's horrible. Have you contacted the authorities?" He paused, before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Forget I asked that. I'm assuming this is an entirely Thieves related matter." 

Ryuji nodded. "Yeah! That's why y'all gotta train us! So we can run over, kick some ass, and then save Ren!" 

Maya grinned, nodding. "That sounds like an honorable cause to me. So, I guess Futaba-chan is busy coming up with a game plan?" Makoto nodded in response, Maya continued. "Alright then, I guess this also ties into our plans for training. Eikichi-kun, the floor is yours." 

Eikichi got up from the booth, pulling out a small duffle bag. "Thanks, Maya-nee." He set the bag on the table. "So, I've been wonderin' about the effectiveness of those masks. No offense, but while they're neat, some of them just cover the bare minimum." Eikichi commented as the remaining Thieves watched curiously. "I don't know how y'all managed to do this before, but those 'disguises' are about as effective as wearing a pair of Groucho Glasses, no matter how stylish they are." 

Ann pouted. "I guess that makes sense... but we went through all the trouble of--" 

"Luckily, I'm smart and thought ahead." He pulled out a few containers of hair dye. "I was mainly worried about the blonde one, anyone with two eyes and half a brain could see her in that getup, and then instantly recognize her on the subway. Especially since she's a freakin' model. But, if you all changed up your style a little bit- well, then people'll have a bit more of a struggle." 

"So what? We dye our hair, train, go back, change our hair back to normal, and then repeat? That's way too much effin' work!" Ryuji protested, shaking his head. 

"I dunno. This lazy bum did it every day in high school." Lisa shrugged. "You'll just have to get up a bit earlier, but I think one less hour of sleep is worth it not to be constantly pestered for the rest of your life." 

Haru nodded. "...That is true. If I was recognized as a Phantom Thief, that could cause a ton of problems for Okumura Foods." 

"...Yeah, but it's different for me! I already dye my hair, that means I got double the work!" The boy folded his arms, scowling. "This is some bullshit!" 

"Just remove the dye from your hair," Yusuke said simply. "Black doesn't contrast with your current aesthetic. It may dull it slightly, but it doesn't add any extra effort on your part. Visually speaking, your blond hair made you stand out more anyways. Dark hair with a dark outfit is much better for sneaking. Your aesthetic will simply become more similar to Joker’s, which in this case, is a good thing." 

"Ooh, I want to see Ryuji-kun with black hair!" Haru clapped. Ryuji huffed, folding his arms as he turned away, though there was a slight blush on his cheeks. 

"Ah, hell. Fine. Toss my the dye remover." He held out his hand, as Eikichi handed it over. 

The older man nodded. "This is strong stuff. Used this all the time when I was a kid- try not to get any on your skin. Believe me, health laws back then were a bit different than they are now." 

"Yikes...I'll see you all in a second." Ryuji wandered off into LeBlanc's single bathroom, leaving the others. 

"Maybe I could use pink and tie my hair into a ponytail? What do you think, Yusuke? You're the artsy one." Ann asked as the artist shrugged. 

"I think pink would achieve the same aesthetic your natural hair color achieves. Perhaps even make it more disarming, which could be useful. It would also match your gloves, which were pretty garish on their own." 

“...The gloves did kind of stand out against the rest of the outfit…” Ann murmured. 

"Do me next, Yusuke-kun!" Haru chirped, raising one hand. 

"You're a strange case. Your hair color seems incredibly integral to your aesthetic, and yet you need to change it. Perhaps black? While also fitting your name, it will make it stand out much less, prompting fewer people to find similarities between ‘Noir’ and ‘Haru’. Your hairstyle is very distinctive, after all." 

“I see…!” Haru nodded, enthusiastically. “I can see it now. The dark-haired beauty thief of the night! Noir! Coming to steal the hearts of the wicked!” She struck a pose, as Yusuke and Maya applauded with gusto. Haru giggled. “Adding an extra layer of disguise to our outfits… I must say, it’s quite exciting!” 

Makoto smiled. She would have to thank the adults later. At least for now, while they weren’t losing sight of their goal, the tension seemed to be evening out. 

“And of course, Makoto-senpai.” 

Makoto blinked. “...Why so formal, Yusuke?” 

“Well, I assumed you would be against dying your hair. But I would at least implore you to listen.” 

Makoto sighed, shaking her head. “It’s fine, Yusuke. If this helps us as Phantom Thieves and can be removed without much hassle, then it’s fine. I just don’t want Sis to know I’m dying my hair. She’d have a fit.” 

Haru blinked. “Niijima-san’s hair isn’t dyed…?” 

“No?” 

“So it’s just naturally grey?” 

Makoto nodded. Haru seemed… confused. “Sis has to deal with a lot of stress. I think it was about the same color as mine up until she had to take care of both of us on our own.” Makoto looked down at the floorboards, folding her arms. “She seemed a bit upset at first, but I think she grew used to it over time.” Makoto looked at everyone else, before focusing back on Yusuke. “Ah… that aside, what did you have in mind Yusuke?” 

“Well,” Yusuke began. “I had considered grey or silver beforehand, as it most closely matches with your Persona--” 

“I have grey. No silver.” Eikichi piped up. 

“--but considering your sister, that may only strengthen your resemblance. You already have her glare.” 

Makoto raised an eyebrow, as Yusuke took a step back. 

“There it is!” 

“Continue, Yusuke.” She said, sternly. 

“...So, I was considering a teal color, if Eikichi-sensei has it. It would align more with the nuclear fire that your Persona emits.” 

“Speakin’ of,” Chie butted in. “When are we going to see that? I’ve never seen a Nuclear-Type Persona before, you can’t blame me for bein’ anxious!” 

Makoto frowned. That was a good question. Hopefully during their latest training session, but she had… doubts. She looked around, before realizing that the adults were all watching her intently. “I-I…” 

“You’ll see it when Makoto-san awakens!” Lisa barked, as Chie shrunk away. “ _Fanna_... be patient, Chie-san. No reason to rush the process.” 

“R-right! Sorry, sensei!” 

Ann put a hand on her hip, pushing the conversation along. "What about you, Yusuke?" 

He smiled softly, glancing away. "I was considering white, or perhaps a grey color. I feel like it would suit my nature nicely." 

Eikichi chuckled. "...Wow, you kids hopped on this with more enthusiasm than I expected. The dye is weak, temporary stuff. It might start fading if you sweat too hard, honestly. But, I got the colors. Do your thing, and then we can start trainin'. Got it?" 

Ryuji stepped out, his hair back to its natural shade of black. 

"Ryuji with dark hair... I'm getting flashbacks. You know... you had dark hair when you borrowed that money from me..." Ann commented. 

"Oi! I thought you said I didn't owe you anymore!" He yelled back, as the girl giggled, taking up her own dye color and heading to the bathroom. 

Haru smiled. "I think you look very handsome, Ryuji-kun." 

Chie snorted. "Heh, you remind me of one of my friends. Just need a few more piercings." She looked at Maya. "Hey, you said we'd get some masks too, right?" 

Maya nodded. "They're basic, white, full-facial masks. Kind of like the Phantom of the Opera? Or... like that one American horror movie guy? Uh, Michael Myers! Or the Scream guy!" 

“...When did you see ‘Scream’...?” Katsuya murmured. 

"Geez! That's so creepy!" She shuddered, before sighing. "I guess it'll keep us safe, though. Just... nobody wearing those weird masks look me directly in the face, alright?" 

“Speaking of weird, we had some other ideas for Morgana and Futaba-chan,” Eikichi said, pulling out a small plastic version of Joker’s mask, and something that vaguely resembled a pilot’s helmet. “We got this helmet for Futaba to wear. Since her hair was already dyed, we figured she could just skip through the hassle.” 

“How considerate for ‘Futaba-chan’...” Ryuji mumbled. 

Lisa held up the tiny mask. “This is for Morgana! There’s a ton of Phantom Thief merch, you know? Do you guys get royalties or anything?” 

“I wish…” Ann sighed. “But that would require, like, a ton of legal stuff. So I think we’re fair use?” 

“No, a company owns the rights to the ‘Phantom Thief’ merchandise, but I think that just means ‘Joker’- or as he’s quote-unquote officially called, ‘Kaitou Leader’. That, and ‘Phantom Thief Calling Cards’ at this point. Nobody else knows what we look like or what else we do.” Makoto corrected. 

“What?” Ryuji shouted. “Man, I wish bein’ a Phantom Thief wasn’t illegal… think of the cash, man! Like, I know that’s not what we’re about, but still…” 

“I understand entirely.” Added Yusuke. “I would be able to afford a considerable amount of bean sprouts with royalty money… perhaps even enough to splurge on cup noodles...” 

“...Oh, Yusuke-kun!” Haru reached into her bag, pulling out 3000 yen and slapping it into his hand. 

He stared at her blankly. 

“For my commission! I said ‘3000 yen an hour’, correct? Unless that’s too low? Oh, it must be too low. Silly me-” She reached into her bag again, as Yusuke worriedly put the money in his pocket and shook his head. 

“N-no, those were the terms- I just- I’m not working on the piece right now, so you shouldn’t be paying me--” 

Haru began thumbing through a rather large stack of bills. “Oh, Yusuke-kun. Such nonsense. I said I would give you 3000 yen every hour. Let’s see… it’s been about three hours since we made our arrangement, so that’s 9000 yen, correct? Although I suppose there should be a tax in regards to me not paying in time…” 

“Th-th-that’s unnecessary--” 

“...In addition to that, I’m sure you may need some new paints, yes? Please, allow me to pay for those as well. How much are acrylic paints- oh, don’t answer that Yusuke-kun, I’ll just give you 8000 yen for that too!” 

Makoto watched the scene with… slight confusion and growing irritation, alongside everyone else. She slowly turned to the adults, bowing slightly. “...I think this is going to take a while. Thank you for your help. We’ll be ready for training in a couple of hours. Please take care.” 

The adults looked amongst each other, before shrugging and exiting the cafe- leaving the dyes and masks, as Haru continued to assault Yusuke with yen. The taller boy had resorted to climbing up on the counter, before suddenly falling backward, the sound of several plates and cups clattering to the ground. 

_...Seriously?_

Why were they choosing now to act like a bunch of wild children? Especially in the cafe that Boss had so generously let them operate in, and in front of the adults that were putting so much time into them? Why now, of all times? Makoto rubbed her temples, watching Ryuji and Ann slowly back up out of the corner of her eyes. 

“ _Hasha-senpai_ is about to blow…” Ryuji whispered. 

“Uh… yeah, Let’s go. Bye, everyone! W-we will see you all laa~ter!” Ann said, before grabbing Ryuji by the arm and sprinting out the door. 

Makoto turned to watch them run, before focusing on and approaching the two remaining Phantom Thieves. 

“...I feel a malevolent intent…!” Yusuke’s muffled voice came from behind the counter. 

Haru slowly turned to face Makoto, before fumbling backward, yen notes fluttering to the ground. “M-Mako-chan…? I-If anything is broken, I c-can pay for i--” 

Makoto cracked her knuckles. 

“...It was nice knowing you, Haru-senpai.” 

“...Likewise, Yusuke-kun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Stryfe' was my attempt to be clever in regards to making up a name for a online communication service like Discord or Skype. I mean, it wasn't clever, but there was an attempt.
> 
> ...I think that's the name of the D-tier Marvel Villain, too...
> 
> Also the whole [ 'Hasha-senpai'](https://youtu.be/IvegQphXX3k?t=2) nickname is a joke nickname for Makoto in the Japanese version of Persona 5, referencing one of the characters from 'Fist of the North Star' (because she has an apocalypse themed outfit and also punches people a lot). 
> 
> In the English dub it first got localized to ['Ms. Post-Apocalyptic Raider'](https://youtu.be/NcNXKPW5SNQ?list=PLEnRK_B0kPIpm6QW5QZKTZsjtmITMfF12&t=2779), and later on ['Fist of the Phantom Star](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oYemgGi_ng) in Ryuji/Makoto's Showtime attack in Royal (which I still like, but 'The Phantom of Century's End' would have been a more faithful attempt at localizing it, although the reference might be a bit more obscured).
> 
> Anyways that's just a bit of trivia.


	14. Crescendo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The interrogation begins. 
> 
> Yukari is tired. Ren gets some help. Futaba and Fuuka team up. Mishima is here.

Yukari couldn’t believe this. The original plan had been to just temporarily separate Amamiya from his teammates, and have a formal, adult discussion. Like sane people. Instead, it seemed like the rest of the team had specifically gone behind her back to do the exact opposite of their plan. So… there sat Amamiya in an interrogation room. His wrists bound with ropes, beaten down, and looking a lot worse for wear. The worst part was that Amamiya really was just… a teenager. Mitsuru had been hyping him up like this sinister mastermind, but the kid was passed out and worn down.

This was seriously messed up. 

"Kid is skinnier than I expected. Then again, he’s got some muscle too. Sure he wasn’t a gymnast?" Akihiko asked, watching the apparent Leader of the Phantom Thieves finally start to wake up from the other side of the one-way glass. 

Mitsuru scoffed. "Fitting for a ‘Phantom Thief’. You said he nearly slipped from your grasp, and probably would have gotten away if it wasn’t for Aigis.” Mitsuru gave Akihiko a sideways glance, which the white-haired man replied with an eyeroll. 

“Wasn’t expecting him to be armed. Still… I could have sworn he tried to summon something against me..." Akihiko mumbled, frowning. "He didn't seem like much when we captured him, but he's supposed to the leader, right? If he did try and summon a Persona, it was awfully weak, but that doesn’t make much sense. Unless…” 

Aigis’ cold gaze fixated on Akihiko. “I would greatly appreciate it if you didn’t insinuate that he has a similar power to our previous Leader, Sanada-san.” 

“You said it, not me.” 

“Can you two cut it out?” Yukari sighed, now in her street clothes, looking through the glass. "He gives me the chills, but either way, we shouldn't have done this. We could have attempted to stage a reasonable meeting first." She protested. "We just stole a teenager off the street. You know that's illegal, right?" 

Mitsuru glared at her. "His actions are illegal. We're containing a criminal. Additionally, all we need is to gain information from him. Then we can set him free." 

"He's not an animal, Mitsuru!" 

"I am aware, Takeba." 

The tension continued to rise before Akihiko cleared his throat. "Speaking of, who's going to be doing the questioning? We could send Aigis. She'd be able to best tell whether he's lying or not." 

The Anti-Shadow Weapon nodded before Yukari shook her head. "Give me a shot. If I come up with nothing, then we can have Aigis do it." 

Mitsuru scoffed. "And expose your involvement?" Yukari's eyes narrowed, as the redhead turned away. "...I’m going first. If I don’t yield any results, you may attempt to question him yourself.” 

Yukari frowned, shaking her head. “Sorry, Mitsuru-senpai, but you’ve gone behind my back once. I’m at least going in there with you.” She said with a huff as she entered the interrogation room, Mitsuru followed behind with an exasperated sigh. The two women entered, Mitsuru deftly taking the interrogation seat across from Amamiya. Yukari watched on quietly, frowning. Amamiya slowly began to regain his senses, his eyes dull as they slowly began to open up and look around. 

“Did you enjoy your little nap?” She asked, dryly. 

He blinked, before coughing slightly. “I… where… wh..” 

Yukari glanced away. Poor kid was probably terrified. Or, at least worried. 

“You’ll regain your bearings in time. My apologies for the restraints, but my associates said you tried to attack them with a knife. I don’t want to take any chances, I’m sure you understand.” She continued, drumming her fingers against the stainless steel table that sat between the two of them. Her nails clicking rhythmically, every so often one of them suddenly scraping against the metal. Yukari grimaced a bit from the sound. 

“My name is Kirijo Mitsuru. Head of the Kirijo Group, and current leader of the Shadow Operatives. It seems we have a lot to talk about, Amamiya.” 

Amamiya stared at Mitsuru for a moment, before his tired gaze slowly made it’s way over to Yukari. 

"Are you... Takeba Yukari?" He asked. They locked eyes before the realization hit her. He had been wearing glasses before. They had kidnapped and assaulted a kid with glasses. 

“I’m sorry about this.” She said, quietly. 

"So you are." 

Still, without his glasses, he didn't seem like the innocuous older sibling that had taken Futaba to the signing. In this situation, he was more like a wounded cat, willing to go off at any moment if something went wrong. He attempted to move his arms, his expression hardening as he realized that he was tied down. 

"You shot my cat." He said clear disdain in his voice. 

Her eyes widened. "We... what?" She turned around to face the glass, glaring at where Akihiko was, before shooting a look in Mitsuru’s direction. Mitsuru didn’t meet her gaze. Yukari turned back around, shaking her head. "We... I'm sorry about that. I'm sure they didn't realize. But, unfortunately, that's not why we're here." 

He kept talking. "No, they totally noticed.” 

Mitsuru cleared her throat. "Apologies, Amamiya, but you’re talking to me. Tell us, you're a Phantom Thief, correct?" 

She watched as he raised a brow at her question, before glancing off to the side as if thinking about it. Even if he was scared, he was doing a decent job of pretending to be ambivalent about the situation. "Please answer my question." 

He looked at her and shrugged. "You already know the answer, I think." His arms flexed for a second, as he tried to adjust his arms that were locked behind his back. It was a fairly rudimentary way of holding him, but as Akihiko said, he didn't seem extremely strong from a physical standpoint. "I want to know about you all. Who are you?" 

Yukari sighed, shaking her head. "...We shouldn't tell you that." 

"A question for a question. We go back and forth and answer as much as we want. As soon as we hit a wall, we stop." He suggested. What sort of game was he playing at? 

Mitsuru huffed. "Fine. I'll start. Tell us, Amamiya, do you have a Persona?" He looked taken aback for a second, before nodding slowly. That solved the first mystery. It was his turn. 

"Are you all with the police?" He asked. Not concerned, but more so with an air of general curiosity. Yukari let Mitsuru handle that one. Even if Mitsuru was acting… strangely, she was still the acting leader of the Shadow Operatives. It wouldn’t do anyone any good to just up and undermine her when it came to professional, personal details. 

"Somewhat. We're affiliated, but it isn't common knowledge. How many 'Thieves' are there?" Mitsuru replied, after a moment. 

"It changes. Four consistent founding members." He replied, after some careful deliberation. It seemed like he was intent on keeping his team from ending up in his situation. "Is one of your teammates a robot?" 

Yukari chuckled. "Aigis is a little more complicated than that, but if you want to keep things simple, then yes. Now, I think we can dance around this topic for a while, but I think we need to know the names of your teammates." 

"No." Was his immediate response. 

Yukari approached the interrogation table. "I understand that but realize we're in the same boat. I was- am- on a team of Persona-users, and trust me, I'd die for any of these guys, but the team I'm on also must make sure that the world is safe from any sort of Persona or Shadow related activity." She explained, although it just seemed like her words were hitting a brick wall. His mind was set. She didn’t blame him. 

"Takeba-san. I appreciate you trying to be kind and all, but I can't sell out my team. At this point, we're just trying to have a real summer vacation before we split apart for good. So, as reasonable as it may be, I don't care." 

She stared at him for a moment. That look in his eye. That feeling of control, like how he knew what was going to happen, or at least had an extremely good idea of how everything would pan out. It reminded her of him. Less apathetic, but the charisma and the unpredictability was uncanny. Different people, cut from the same cloth. She sighed, closing her eyes. "I see... well, then--" 

Mitsuru shook her head. "We're not giving up now, Takeba. I'll take it from here." She gestured for the other woman to leave. 

"Mitsuru, we should just let him go. He's not going to tell us anything, and they're breaking apart anyways." She repeated as the redhead scowled. 

You're honestly taking that at face value? He's a trickster, a master manipulator. He and his team have found ways to control the media, influence the masses, and single-handedly take down government campaigns. The Phantom Thieves are dangerous, and until we can either find a way to efficiently ally with them and survey them or take them down one-by-one, then he is not leaving this room." 

"He's just a teenager, we're putting too much pressure on-" She was stopped with a forceful look from Mitsuru. Clearly, it’d just cause more trouble to stand around and argue. And she wasn’t going to try and fight either. She sighed, giving one last apologetic look towards the Thief before exiting. 

Yukari entered the observation room, standing next to Akihiko and Aigis as the interrogation continued. The redheaded woman sat down in front of the dark-haired boy, the two of them staring off. "Give me the names of your teammates." She commanded simply. He shook his head. 

"Can't. I forgot." 

"Don't get cocky with me. Although, if you like games, then here's one. We have the information about your caregiver and his daughter, Sojiro and Futaba Sakura." 

Yukari’s eyes widened. “Wait…” 

Akihiko furrowed his brow. “...What is Mitsuru doing…?” 

His eyes narrowed. Mitsuru sneered. "Now you're listening. Simply put, if you don't give us the information we need, the Sakura's may find themselves facing serious charges for some large crime they may or may not have committed, or they may be involved in some sort of accident. I know you're following me." 

"Don't lay a hand on them. Do what you want to me, but leave Sojiro and Futaba out of this." He retorted, through gritted teeth. Mitsuru chuckled. 

"You're the martyr type. You can take a beating. Physically, at least. Emotionally, we have your weakness." 

He sighed, looking down. "...The Phan-site." 

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow. "Hm? That silly online forum of yours?" 

"Ask for Alibaba. That will get you in touch with my team." 

"...I see. It seems like we're making some progress then. Sit tight, Amamiya. You're in for a wait." 

And with that, Mitsuru slowly stood up, regally turning around and exiting the interrogation room. Yukari caught a glimpse of her face. Decidedly more triumphant than usual. She listened as Mitsuru’s heels clicked down the hall, not even bothering to address the other three Shadow Operatives as she headed off. Most likely to her office. 

Yukari turned around to face Akihiko, hands on her hips. “...The hell were you thinking, Sanada-senpai? We’re just beating up teenagers and shooting cats now? What’s next, huh? Kicking puppies? Oh, maybe we should just start killing anyone who we even suspect of being bad!” She said, her voice dripping with harsh sarcasm. 

Akihiko looked away. “Listen… Takeba. Mitsuru is right. We can’t afford to take any chances. We just need to trust her on this one. Once Amamiya gives us the information we need, he can go home.” 

“Oh, so you trust Mitsuru enough to justify kidnapping, but you don’t trust me enough to let me in on your little escapade?” Yukari shot back. 

“Takeba--” 

Aigis stepped forward. “Mitsuru-san acknowledged that you would react emotionally. She was correct. If you had known ahead of time, what would you have done?” 

“Uh, stopped this, obviously!” 

“Exactly. And we would have lost Amamiya.” Aigis said as if this was just some obvious conclusion. Yukari frowned. 

“What is _wrong_ with you, Aigis? You’re better than this! We’re better than this! What happened to having, like, faith in people or whatever? Why are we instantly assuming the worst of this beat-up teenager?!” She gestured towards the interrogation room, pointing at Ren. 

“Nothing is ‘wrong’ with me,” Aigis replied, pointedly. “I would just rather this threat be handled as soon as possible. 

Yukari closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “You’re kidding me. Threat? I- okay, screw you guys. I’m going to talk to him myself.” 

“Takeba, that’s dangerous,” Akihiko said, although he didn’t seem to be putting up much of a fight. He just seemed… lost in his head. Good. She hoped that he was either starting to feel guilty, starting to have doubts or all of the above. Aigis, on the other hand, stomped forwards, gripping Yukari’s wrist. 

“I cannot allow you to do that.” 

Yukari’s other hand reached for her waist, gripping the Evoker strapped against it and whipping it towards her head, finger carefully on the trigger. 

“Make me.” She spat back. 

Aigis’ gaze hardened. “Your Persona is not specialized for combat. Mine is. If you wanted to fight, then I would win. You wouldn’t stand a cha-” 

Akihiko finally stepped in, prying the two of them apart. “Okay, both of you stop it.” He looked over at Yukari. “Be careful in there. If you need any sort of help, ask for it, and I’ll be in there in a flash.” He looked over at Aigis. “You stay here. Take some time to get your head right. The last thing you should be thinking about is fighting your teammates.” He took a breath, shaking his head. “We’re supposed to be a unit. Takeba was right about us being in the wrong when it came to keeping her in the dark. However, we should still express caution. Understand?” 

“Got it, Sanada-senpai,” Yukari said, with a bit of hesitation. “If I need help, I’ll let you know.” 

She walked slowly to the interrogation room, opening the door slowly. Amamiya sat quietly, watching her with a curious expression on his face. She sat down across from him, rolling her eyes. “Jeez… I can’t believe I have to play ‘clean-up’ for their messes. Unbelievable…” 

Amamiya gave her a weird look. 

“What?” 

He shook his head. “Nothing… you just reminded me of a… maid I know.” 

Weird, but okay. “Is that a compliment?” 

He thought for a moment. “Eh.” Was all he responded with. 

Well, she had to appreciate his honesty. 

“Anyways, you already know who I am.” Yukari began. “Again, I wish that the circumstances were different, but now we’re here, and I don’t really have enough pull on the team to make any big changes. Still, can I at least talk to you for a bit? If the Phantom Thieves were a bit less… enigmatic, everyone would probably be a bit less tense.” 

Amamiya frowned. “What the public knows about the Phantom Thieves is enough. I already told you that we’re basically disbanded. Now we’re just trying to live normal lives.” 

“As much as I want to believe that, you can’t blame people for being suspicious. Which kind of sucks, because I’m pretty sure the only thing that put you back under surveillance was you coming to Tokyo.” 

“So I’m not allowed to visit my friends anymore without worrying about… this?” 

Yukari sighed. “I know it’s unfair, but you of all people know how influential the Phantom Thieves are. We just want to know the details. It was literally raining blood on Christmas Eve, you can’t think that’s something we’d easily ignore, right?” 

“That wasn’t us, though!” Amamiya replied, starting to sound impatient. “We were trying to stop it. And we did.” 

“How?” 

“You honestly wouldn’t believe me.” 

Yukari laughed, taking Ren by surprise. “Alright, kid. I get that you think your little group is the center of all the weird stuff that goes on in the world- trust me, I did too, but you couldn’t be further from the truth. Just talk to me.” 

“I’ve got to refuse. I’m not giving up my friend's safety.” 

“Fine… just… how strong are you though? You’re the Leader, right? So can you… use more than one Persona?” It was worth a shot to ask. He gave off the same aura of their Leader, it just kind of made sense. The Inaba Team’s Leader was like that too. 

He seemed a bit surprised at the question, pausing, before glancing towards Yukari’s hip. “What’s that gun?” He asked. 

He was trying to change the subject. She’d take that as a ‘yes’ for now. Still… her Evoker? How did he know she had it on her? “...Excuse me?” 

“Behind the glass. I saw you pull it out and threaten to shoot yourself with it. I’ve had a bad track record with guns and interrogation rooms, so I want to make sure you’re not planning anything… wild.” 

“I’m not suicidal or anything, it’s…” She paused. There was no point in giving up all of their secrets if he was going to keep his secrets so close to his chest. “Consider it a tool. I’m not going to shoot you with it.” She hadn’t aimed an Evoker at someone else before, but she’d rather not accidentally summon his Persona. 

“Takeba-san, I understand you probably won’t, but what about the other two?” He looked back towards the glass, before raising an eyebrow. “Oh. Kirijo-san is back.” 

“How do you know?” She looked back at the one-way glass behind them. There was no way he should be able to see past it. 

“Consider it a tool.” He said, coyly. 

She shook her head, standing up. “Guess that means we’re done talking for now. Wish you’d at least give us something to work with.” 

“...Futaba is going to be pretty disappointed when she finds out you’re a part of this.” 

“When?” That seemed… awfully certain. 

He winked at her. “Come back soon, Takeba-san. I don’t get many chances to talk with celebrities.” 

Yukari gave him a wary look, before heading back to the rest of the group. Well, at least she managed to wrangle one tiny bit of information from the kid. Shame he wasn’t willing to talk more, but… it wasn’t like she could blame him. She’d probably clam up in front of a bunch of kidnappers too, although she just hoped things didn’t get… drastic. 

* * *

Well, at least Takeba seemed a bit… nicer than the rest of them. He continued to fidget with his wrists. Apparently, despite all of their caution, they expected ropes would be able to keep him tied down. That, or they were confident enough in their strength to hold him back if they did escape. Whatever. That just meant he needed to be fast, and stealthy. Still, he was a Phantom Thief, and he could escape from much, much worse. Hopefully. This was the first time he’d actually… tried to escape on his own. 

Man, he missed his team. 

_”Ah. My Trickster. I did not realize you were amid an escape already.”_

He blinked at the sound of a voice, looking up as a blue butterfly danced around his head, before gently settling near the back of the interrogation room, out of view from the others behind the glass. It gently glowed as it took the form of a young girl in vibrant blue clothing with long white hair. A white mask styled after a butterfly was settled across her face, two bright yellow eyes staring him down. She gave him a small smile. 

“Hey, Lavenza. The mask is new.” 

”I am going against my Master’s wishes. And so I figured to adorn myself with a mask of rebellion as well.” She replied, with a slight giggle. “Do you like it?” 

He flexed his wrists, as the ropes loosened. “It suits you. Mind helping me out?” 

“That is my duty, Trickster. Although… my interference must be kept between us. The denizens of the Velvet Room have been asked only to observe.” 

Ren sighed as the ropes fell limp on the ground, before using his Third Eye to check on the people keeping them captive. They seemed to be distracted while talking with each other. Good. “...So… this is another ‘save the world’ thing?” He asked, warily. 

“Even more so. You and the bonds you forged are in grave danger. This is a place infested by chaos. You must leave here immediately, and your friends must not come here. If you fail to do so, then you- and this world- may collapse under Ruin.” Lavenza explained. Well… ‘explained’. Vague as always, that was how the Velvet Room operated. Still… it was clear enough. Leave, or die. 

He checked on his captors again, nodding as he snuck towards the door. “...So, what’s our plan?” 

“I can not fight them. However, I will give you the power to do so. At least enough to summon your Persona and stage your escape. I pray that will be enough, my Trickster.” She said, holding out a hand, Ren watching as it glowed faintly. “May this be your Salvation.” 

He suddenly felt a lot… stronger. He rolled his shoulders back, before checking his arms. Whatever bruises there were from the scuffle seemed to be gone. Nice. He slowly began to open the door, turning back to face the girl. “...Thank you, Lavenza. You’re a lifesaver.” 

The attendant blushed slightly, before nodding. “I... am glad I could be of service, my Trickster. Now, please hurry! When you escape, we may be able to talk more freely.” She paused, before she grimaced, stumbling slightly. “...What…” 

“Lavenza!” He reached out to her. She shook her head. 

“...Right… this is a place of chaos. My being contradicts the forces binding this building…” She mumbled under her breath. 

“...What?” 

“The world is set in a balance. Connected to the Master of my Master’s power, and his counterparts. This… this place isn’t built with the same balance. There is a lingering evil, something preventing me from using most of my power--” She stopped, before furrowing her brow. “Do not make me waste time, Trickster!” She hissed, with sudden sharpness. “You must escape! I ask you to obey me this time, please!” 

“Y-yes, ma’am. Leaving now.” 

Lavenza nodded, before fading into her blue butterfly form and quietly fluttering away. 

“Guess Caroline is still deep down in there...” He said under his breath, before exiting the interrogation room. He was faced with an empty hallway. A door on one end, and an elevator on the other. He wondered what was behind that far door, but now wasn’t the time to explore. That… probably meant he was underground, and that he needed to get to the elevator before anyone noticed he was gone. He started running forwards, before-- 

“Amamiya Ren has escaped.” He heard the robot-girl say. 

Shit. 

He started running faster before he heard one of the doors behind him burst open. He turned around to see the buff, white-haired man that kicked his ass, Takeba-san, and the robot girl. 

_Shit._

He reached towards his face, the process unnecessary but instinctual. “Come, Arsene!” He yelled, as his other self rose from the depths. The flames surrounding his body, both literal and mental chains shattering around him as he stood up with a sudden burst of energy. Arsene let out a low, rumbling cackle as it spread its wings wide. “I just need to hold them back for a moment! Now, Maeigaon!” Dark flame-like energy spiraled forwards, causing his captors to brace themselves for defense. 

As soon as he attacked, it didn't feel right. Then it hit him. He had the power, but he didn't have the experience or training. In addition to that, Lavenza said her powers were being weakened or something here… maybe her healing wasn’t as potent. A massive headache struck him, as the Persona flickered, threatening to leave. He desperately clung on, like a kid trying to hang on to a balloon during a tornado. He stepped backward, turning to run as his head pounded. 

"If a Persona is the manifestation of the user's personality, and his takes on such a demonic, intimidating form, then it may come to be that we are finally seeing a glimpse of his true nature." Aigis reasoned, aiming her guns towards Ren. 

"I can't say for sure..." Akihiko muttered. "But there's something' seriously wrong with that kid, no matter the circumstances." 

"What the hell...? We should have been paying closer attention! What did we miss?" Yukari yelled. 

"Stop him before he attacks again!" Aigis commanded, as Akihiko grit his teeth, his Persona manifesting within the tight confines of the underground hallway. 

"Caesar! Ziodyne!" The white-haired man yelled. 

Then he saw it. Two glistening Personas appearing in front of him. The first, holding a globe, attacked with lightning. The regal form of Caesar stared down the demonic Persona, as the fighter through his fist forwards. Electricity shot through the room, as the Ren braced himself, The lightning hurt like hell, but Arsene was sturdy. It could probably take one or two more traditional spells. 

Aigis stepped forwards, with her glistening Persona. "Come, Helel! Morning Star!" 

...What Arsene couldn't take was the second attack, which left him feeling as if a nuke was dropped on top of him, as he was slammed into the ground and felt utterly destroyed. His vision was filled with light, and then nothing. 

* * *

Communicating with ‘Lucia’ was going… decent. While she wasn’t mentioning other names, she at least explained that she was part of an elite group of Persona-users called the ‘Shadow Operatives’. And that they were usually the good guys. 

Futaba continued trying to find leads, as ‘Lucia’ continued to idly talk to the rest of the Phantom Thieves. Ann and Ryuji had left, and… well, Yusuke was knocked out on Ren’s sofa. Which only really left her, Haru, Morgana, and Makoto. Which wasn’t a bad team. 

_”...Like I was saying... this is different than our usual M.O. There's a bit more tact. And a lot less violence."_

The rest of the thieves nodded as they tried to take in the information before a figure suddenly busted up the stairs into the attic. The group stared at Mishima Yuuki, who was panting excitedly holding up his phone. 

"Guys? Where's Ren, I got a really important ask on the Phan-site he needs to see." He gasped, before taking a knee next to the steps. "Oooh, man. I knew I should have taken the subway..." 

"It's the NPC..." Futaba sighed. 

"You ran all the way here?" Makoto asked. 

"I was excited! Anyways, the Phan-site has only been full of troll posts and requests for the past few months, but then someone posts something asking for 'Alibaba of the Phantom Thieves'? Which seems way too specific for a troll post, so I wanted to ask Ren about it." He explained between breaths, holding out his phone before Makoto plucked it from his hands. 

"Ren ain't here, but maybe..." He glanced towards Futaba, who gestured for her to hand it over. 

"I'm Alibaba. Although people shouldn't know that username is affiliated with the Thieves, which means..." 

"Ren must have told them," Yusuke mumbled, slowly coming to. "...That means he's alive... At least, alive long enough to tell them about us. My best guess is hostage negotiations..." There wasn't any debate, as a slow murmur of agreement bounced around the room. Mishima blinked. 

"Ren was taken hostage?!" He yelled. 

Morgana winced. 

Haru nodded solemnly. "It seems like. Futaba-chan, please check the message." 

The girl nodded, before opening the forum message. "It says, 'To Alibaba of the Phantom Thieves. We are currently holding your leader, and are trying to gain his cooperation. For you see, we are all fighting for the same justice. The elimination of Shadows and the protection of mankind. However, he refuses to help us, so we are forced to propose an ultimatum. Reveal your identities to us so we can further negotiations, or your leader will face punishments we discussed with him privately. Time is of the essence. For you, at least.'" She slumped down onto her side. "This suuuuucks." She groaned. 

Makoto began pacing. "They're fighting for the same justice? Then what was stopping them from simply coming by LeBlanc and talking? Maya-san and Katsuya-san managed to do it fine." She mused. 

"It sounds like they're not going to touch Ren-kun until they have a proper reason to! I'd consider that a positive!" Haru interjected, forcing a smile, before sighing. "...I hope so, at least." 

Makoto crossed her arms, brow furrowing. "Even with the 'positives', this is ridiculous! Futaba, can you track down the phone that sent the message and parse out a location?" 

"...I could try. Although for now, let's keep this on the Phan-site. I'll privately message them, and encrypt my own location. They'll likely be doing the same." 

"So for now, all we can do is communicate and comply," Yusuke muttered, slowly sitting up. "How irritating! I wish we could steal one of their companions, and see how they like it!" 

"Hold your horses, Inari. Without the Metaverse, we're just some kids. And according to Mona, Ren was stolen by a really buff Featherman who was immune to Zio skills, and a girl who literally overpowered our leader with one hand. If we want a chance, we'll really need to keep up our training..." 

Mishima stood there, his eyes wide. "I'm legitimately sitting in on Phantom Thief business! This is both exciting and terrifying. But... who's Maya? Is she a new member?" 

Futaba shrugged. "Eh, kinda. She's offering to tutor us on how to use our powers in the real world. We have a training sesh tonight." 

Makoto nodded. "But for now, let's focus on the negotiation. These terms seem a bit... unreasonable. 

Mishima gasped. "Wait, I get to stay for this?" 

"Sure, it's your site. It's only fair." Makoto responded as the Phan-boy stumbled over, grinning. 

_"I'd like access to the 'Phan-site' as well."_ 'Lucia' added. _"Knowing my team, they may try and jam any sort of backdoors that could expose them. I can get around that, and help you past security while you negotiate. Better to split the work than try and do both at the same time, right Alibaba-chan?"_

“Who’s that?” Mishima asked. “Ooh! Do the Phantom Thieves have their own personal A.I? Haha, that’s awesome!” 

_”What? I’m a hu-”_

“Yes.” Futaba interrupted. “This is my very cool, personal A.I that I made. Praise me, Nishima.” 

“It’s Mishima.” 

“Is it _really_ , though?” 

Lucia sighed. _”...Anyways, may I have access?”_

Futaba frowned. "...Fine. But no tricks, Lucia-chan! You already lied once. Also, why are you asking? The Phan-site isn't that hard to crack. It's pretty basic." 

_"Asking for permission seems more polite. And I already feel bad! Please, I just want to make things right."_

"...Basic...?" Mishima mumbled. 

_"Sorry, but yes, basic. My apologies. I've already accessed the internal workings of the Phan-site several times. Never tampered, just... checked things."_

"I spent a whole week on that site..." Mishima said, dejectedly. 

"Exactly." Futaba and Lucia said in unison. 

Makoto rolled her eyes. “Focus, everyone. Let’s begin negotiations. Our best-case scenario is no combat at all, got it?” 

Futaba saluted. “Yes, ma’am! Awright, let’s get our leader back!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized that I didn't have Mishima in the tags even though I knew he was going to contribute to the plot, and that's kind of funny in a sad way.
> 
> Sorry, Moon Boy.


	15. Big City Livin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie awakens to her Persona. 
> 
> The Sumaru Gang realizes Chie's friend group is really weird. 
> 
> Naoto and Kanji get an offer to meet the Phantom Thieves. 
> 
> Koromaru discovers something big.

“Geez, sensei! Lay off the pressure a bit! Remember that I haven’t been able to summon my Persona yet!” Chie yelled, ducking out of the way of an incredibly quick punch. Fighting Lisa-sensei was… well, put in the context of fighting other Persona-users, was different than before. When she had to fight her friends for that tournament-whatever a few years ago, she had some idea of what their skills, strengths, and weaknesses were. And when she had to fight the Shadow Operatives, they seemed a lot more reliant on their Personas’ and used them in a more tactically-sound way. After watching Maya-sensei fight, and going up against Lisa-sensei, this was totally different. It was like she was fighting two people at once, and… well, Lisa-sensei seemed a lot more ‘in-tune’ with her Persona.

“No can do, Chie-san! Maya-nee said that it just took pressure to yank a Persona out of you, and we’re going to do just that!” The blonde woman threw a kick towards Chie, as the brown-haired woman backed away before being suddenly slammed by one of Venus’ earth attacks. 

Normally, they’d have some issues about openly fighting with their Personas. But it was getting late, and Yoyogi Park seemed to be slowly dwindling in numbers. Besides, they were mainly just waiting on the kids to finish up whatever they had to do and come to wrap up training. So, why not take the extra time to train? Maya-sensei and the others were laser-focused on the Phantom Thieves, so Chie had to make up whatever time she could, and pick up whatever information she could. So, that left Lisa, Maya, and Eikichi helping her try and awaken. Katsuya had been there for a bit but had wandered off on his own for the time being. 

Still, in regards to training that meant a one-on-one with Lisa-sensei, and her teacher wasn’t planning on holding back. Chie rolled her shoulders back, before sprinting towards Lisa, throwing a round kick towards her waist. Lisa grabbed Chie’s leg, trying to yank the other woman off balance before Chie erratically shifted her weight, sending them both crashing towards the ground. Lisa grunted, the form of Venus blinking before Chie once more, forcing the woman to throw her hands up in a blocking position as the ethereal Persona’s fist slammed into her. 

She winced, her arms numb. “Geez... is this really the best way to 

“I’m coming with another attack!” Lisa yelled. 

“Wait--” 

“Mamagmadyne!” 

That seemed like total overkill! Especially out in the open! Shouldn’t they save the massive spells from when they were in Sensei’s earth dome arena so that people couldn’t just… see what was going on? She braced herself for the coming attack, seeing a wall of stone slowly rise from the ground, threatening to topple on top of her. 

**Stop cowering.**

...Well, for a random inner voice, that seemed awfully derisive. But… it was right. She began pushing herself up to her feet. 

**Jeez, took you long enough. Now, are you going to call on me or what?**

Whoever this mean inner monologue was, they really needed to get their act together. She watched the rock wall slowly tumble downwards before a bright blue tarot card flashed in her view. Well. That was familiar, she hadn’t seen it in the real world before. And… the more she thought about it, her real mean internal monologue was 

**...Please don’t tell me you’re just now picking up the whole ‘I am thou, thou art I’ thing.**

“Fine! Fine! I’m breaking the card! Jeez!” Chie yelled, her leg sweeping upwards and smashing into the tarot card. A bright light overtook her, before a shimmering golden figure shot forwards, smashing the stone wall and rocketing towards Lisa. The older woman dived out of the way, rolling to the side as the golden warrior-like figure summoned a naginata, sweeping it upwards and sending a wave of blade-like energy shooting forwards. It looped backward, hovering behind Chie confidently. 

**I am the being now known as Haredo-no-Ōkami. Born from the truest of selves. Use my power wisely.”**

Lisa blinked. “...That’s your Persona, Chie-san?” 

Chie looked over at it. “Ahah… I guess so! I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve summoned it, but I’m actually kind of relieved. I thought it would have reset back into Tomoe or something like that.” She looked back at the group of adults that seemed… either really confused or generally stunned. “...Is that weird?” 

Eikichi shook his head. “...No, that just seems… more…” 

“Powerful?” Maya offered. 

“Badass?” Lisa commented. 

“Yeah, those things,” Eikichi said with a nod. “This just doesn’t seem very… you, Satonaka-san.” 

Chie frowned. What was that supposed to mean? She was totally cool and badass! She huffed, folding her arms. “I’m not some kinda novice! I worked really hard to train with my Persona back when I had access to it! It’s just… been a couple of years since I had to summon it.” 

“Speaking of,” Maya said, raising her hand. “I don’t think we really asked about your whole… deal? I kind of picked up that you were part of the Inaba killings, but I don’t think we ever had the details.” 

Chie rubbed her chin. She guessed they hadn’t really asked beforehand. She shrugged. “Well, it’s kind of weird, but basically my friend found out he could enter T.V’s, and that someone else was murdering other people by tossing them into T.V’s, so we started entering the T.V to try and find the other guy who was doing T.V murders, and throughout that whole thing we had to fight and accept distorted shadowy versions of ourselves that turned into our Personas. But then it turned out that our real enemy wasn’t the guy who was killing people with T.V’s, but a goddess that wanted to surround the world in fog- oh yeah, the fog was a part of this. Basically, the T.V’s were leaking this fog that was making everybody sick, and that’s because the fog was originally just part of the T.V world, but became part of the normal world, but if it got too foggy then shadows were fated to appear and slaughter everybody, so we obviously had to clear the fog before everyone could get killed, so we beat up the god- well, we tried, but then we all got like… sucked up or killed or dragged into some eternal abyss? And I totally thought I was dead, but then we got revived through the power of friendship, and our leader summoned a Super Persona that totally killed the Evil Fog God, and then we went home.” 

Maya nodded. “...Makes sense to me.” 

“Could have been weirder."Lisa said with a shrug. 

“Going inside a television seems pretty fun, honestly,” Eikichi noted. 

Chie sighed. “Wow, I’m glad you guys aren’t asking a ton of follow-up questions. People seem to get, like, really hung up on the whole T.V thing for some reason.” 

“It probably had something to do with the collective unconsciousness, right?” Katsuya added, returning to the group. “That would explain the television motif. It most likely drew off of how much humanity depends on the media. At least, that’s my theory.” 

Chie blinked. “Well… uh. I don’t remember the whole shtick, but that sounds right…?” 

Maya chuckled. “You can be such a dork sometimes, Kacchan. Where were you?” 

“Taking a walk.” He replied, airily. “But then I had to play clean up after Lisa started summoning rock towers and whatnot. I had to cast illusion spells on everyone who I could even guess caught a glimpse of your little fight. So, you know, let’s wait until it’s darker, later, and the park is more abandoned before you two decide to go ‘all-out’.” He shot the two martial artists a disapproving look, as they averted their eyes. 

“...Sorry, Katsuya-san.” Lisa mumbled. 

“M’bad, Katsuya-sensei…” Chie groaned. 

“That aside, let’s take a break for now. If we’re going to be training like before, I’d say we should rest up. We’ve still got… what, three students that haven’t awakened yet? I want to get all of them up to speed so that we can start focusing on strategy.” 

Chie nodded. That seemed to make sense. “Well, I’m going to go find something to eat then! I’m starving, and… oh.” She stumbled a bit, her head feeling foggy. “Huh. There’s the fatigue. Was wonderin’ when that was gonna show up.” She slowly sat down in the grass, laying down on her back. “...Uh, I’m just gonna lie here for a bit. A quick nap and a beef bowl should get me back to full strength…” She sighed before her phone buzzed. 

“...You gonna get that?” Eikichi asked. 

“Yeah, yeah.” She reached into her pocket, quickly panicking as she realized that she left her phone in her pocket during a sparring match. She checked the screen for cracks, before sighing after seeing that she had gotten lucky this time. She held it up to her ear, yawning. “H’lo.” 

_”Ah, Chie. Good evening. It’s Naoto.”_

“Yeah, I know.” She sat up, stretching. “What’s up, Naoto? Need anything?” 

_”Actually, I just wanted to let you know that Kanji and I have just arrived in Tokyo--”_

“Huh?!” Chie shouted. “I-I-I mean, great! Why are you in Tokyo though, of all the places and cities and areas in Japan? I-I mean there are so many things that you can get distracted with here! Frivolous, frivolous things! And I know how much you hate ‘frivolity’, or whatever!” She rambled, her voice slowly rising in pitch and panic despite her best efforts. 

_”...Um. Well, I supposed that I could have a bit of ‘frivolity’ for a bit. It is the summer after all. And I haven’t been able to spend much time with Kanji…”_

Chie knew Naoto pretty darn well, and there was no way that she was coming to Tokyo just for ‘pleasure’. Also, this was going to be a massive problem, since the Phantom Thieves were like… 100% criminals as far as any sort of justice department in Japan was concerned. “Really? I mean, I thought you said you were working on a case? Wouldn’t you want to wrap that up first before going on vacation?” 

There was a bit of a pause. _”Ah. Right. I, um, finished. Finished that case. It was very easy.”_

“Really? Whodunnit then?” Chie asked. 

_”...The butler.”_ Naoto replied, after some deliberation. 

It always was the butler, wasn’t it? 

_”Anyways, we wanted to meet up. Where are you now? It’s been an awfully long time since we’ve ‘hung out’ together.”_

“Oh, I’m at Yoyogi Park,” Chie said, absentmindedly. She looked up as her current companions were giving her several different aggressive gestures, and yet all of them seemed to imply that Chie needed to backpedal. Fast. “Uh, but you shouldn’t come here though.” 

_”...Why? I’m fairly certain the park doesn’t close. I actually think the three of us relaxing there may be relaxing.”_

Damn. That did sound relaxing. The age-old conundrum of spending precious time with her friends or training back your superpowers with one of Japan’s modern criminal groups. What to do… what to do… 

She grimaced. “Gaaah! This is too tough! I’ll talk to you later, Naoto, bye! Sorry! Bye!” 

_”Wait wh-”_ Chie suddenly hung up, falling flat on her back again. Lying was so exhausting. But there was no way she could let Naoto know that she was working with the Phantom Thieves. That’d be an uber-disaster. 

“...A friend of yours?” Asked Lisa, after a beat of silence. 

“...Yeah. Shirogane Naoto. We’ve been friends since high school.” Chie replied, tiredly. 

Katsuya blinked. “...Like, the ‘Detective Prince Shirogane Naoto-sama’?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Don’t act like it’s no big deal!” Eikichi yelled. “How the hell are you friends with Shirogane-sama? Isn’t he a celebrity?!” 

“Inaba murders. Helped us kill the Fog God. Really strong Persona-user.” Chie replied, casually. “Oh, also ‘she’. Or, well, I guess she never really cared much about pronouns…” 

“I never knew you knew someone so important, Chie-chan,” Maya said with a nod. “But… this does cause a bit of a problem. Just using common sense, it’ll be hard to sneak around a detective. Especially one of the best detectives in Japan. We’ll need to be careful about how we spend our time from now on, alright?” 

“Gotcha, Maya-nee… but...did Chie-san just say Shirogane-sama is a Persona-user?” Lisa asked. “That’s wild…! I mean, whatever happened in Inaba must have gotten pretty big to get the Detective Prince involved, and involved enough to awaken…” 

Chie nodded. “I guess it is kind of cool in hindsight. I guess I got used to it too. It’s not like Rise, where it’s impossible to forget she’s famous.” 

“...Rise?” Katsuya asked, tentatively. 

“Famous Rise…?” Eikichi continued. 

“Famous Idol Kujikawa Rise?!” Lisa yelled. 

Chie shrugged. “Yeah.” 

“What the hell is your life, Chie-san?!” Lisa yelled, grabbing Chie by her shoulders and shaking her. “What? You decided to leave all these important details out until now?! When were we supposed to learn you were friends with an idol and the literal Detective Prince, dammit?!” 

“I-! didn’t think it was important, Sensei!” Chie yelled. “P-Please stop!!” 

Lisa finally let her go, watching as Chie wobbled up to her feet. She rubbed her temples, before sighing. “Well… now I’m shaken up and tired. You think we could go for that beef bowl now?” 

Maya laughed. “Right, right. Come on, everyone. It’s better to eat now than later anyways.” 

The group started to walk off before Chie caught something out of the corner of her eye. She turned around, looking at a white dog off in the distance. She squinted, folding her arms. It seemed… familiar. She slowly started to approach it, as the dog began bounding towards her, tackling her to the ground. 

“Ah- Koro-chan! Woah, does that mean Ken-kun is here too?” Chie giggled, patting the dog on the head. 

Koromaru barked, licking Chie’s face. “Aha- stop it, Koro-chan! I know you’re smart an’ all, but you probably shouldn’t be out here all by yourself!” 

“Chie! Let’s hurry!” Lisa called out. 

Koromaru stopped licking Chie, looking around for the source of the voice. Chie shrugged. “That’s my sensei, Koro-chan. We’re gonna be doing some really important training later today!” 

Kotomaru blinked, tilting his head to the side. 

Chie looked around. “...Well, Koro-chan can’t talk. Maybe I can just get this whole secret thing off my chest for now…” She scratched Koromaru’s muzzle gently. “I’m training with the Phantom Thieves in a couple of hours!” She whispered, excitedly. “Isn’t that awesome, Koro-chan!” 

Koromaru hopped off of Chie, panting excitedly. “I know, right--” Koromaru suddenly bolted off, leaving her in the dust. “--Oh. Huh. Maybe Koro-chan has a curfew?” She shrugged. “Oh well. If Ken-kun is here, I wonder if any of the others are too…? Well, if they are, now isn’t the time to think about it!” She watched Koromaru continue to bound away, before jogging off in the other direction. 

* * *

* * *

There was something… weird about being hung up on. Outside of the fact that it was incredibly rude, Chie never really hung up on people intentionally. There would be times where she would drop her phone and the conversation would get cut short, or times where she would accidentally end the call because her phone fell in a beef bowl, and certainly times where she tried to talk on the phone while practicing her martial arts and failing miserably. This seemed… different though. No, scratch that, this was different. Chie had apologized. Why would Chie need to apologize, if not for the fact that she felt like she was doing something wrong. 

“Earth t’ Naoto.” A gruff voice called out from beside her. She looked up, locking eyes with Kanji. “Jeez. I was gettin’ worried. Ever since Chie-san hung up on ya’, you were starin’ at your phone all pissed.” 

Naoto blushed slightly. “E-excuse me? ‘All pissed’?” 

“Yeah. Your eyes got all squinty, and you were chewin’ your lip.” He replied casually. Naoto rolled her eyes. Six years. Six years together, and he refused to have any sort of casual tact. Of course, that was probably because he knew that she didn’t think he meant anything malicious, but for once it would help him to at least talk a bit more eloquently. But… well, then he wouldn’t exactly be ‘Kanji’. He’d just be some tall guy that spoke well. 

“...That aside, it’s good to be in Tokyo. Big cities are… nice.” A lot more to do than in Inaba. Inaba had its charms but… well, it could be incredibly claustrophobic at times. Even if she didn’t like going out and about in cities, she could at least appreciate the fact that she had the option to do so. Of course, she had plenty of work here. The Phantom Thieves of Heart, for one, and then possibly investigate whatever was going on with Chie. 

“We’re unpackin’ first,” Kanji said as if reading her mind, holding up their luggage. “We’re unpackin’, and then you can get started on whatever detective stuff you wanna do. Although maybe we could get dinner first? I’m freakin’ hungry, dude.” 

“...That’s fair. I did drag you out here with me, after all.” Naoto replied with a sigh. 

Kanji laughed. “Drag? You’re kiddin’! I’ve been wanting to spend some quality time with you for like, months! You’ve been so busy- workin’ on other cases and jugglin’ that with your Phantom Thief work, I’m just glad to see you again!” He said happily, wrapping a large arm around her. He meant well, but that just made her feel worse. She had been… involved with her work for the past few months. Ever since Akechi Goro had stained the title of Detective Prince, she had been working overtime to return its legitimacy and restore her own reputation. That meant… well, being away for weeks at a time, and those weeks turned into months, and before she had known it she had been away from Kanji and Inaba for almost half a year with sparse communication. 

Still… it was nice to be with him, and hear that he was in higher spirits. She smiled, nodding. “Fine then. Where do you want to eat?” 

“A conveyor sushi place!” He replied, enthusiastically. 

She stared at him, blank-eyed. “...Kanji.” 

“What? That’s big city livin’! I heard conveyor sushi is the bomb!” 

“Big city… living…?” Naoto took a second to process, before suddenly bursting out in poorly stifled laughter. “K-Kanji… you really are a country boy at heart… we’re in Tokyo and you’re-- you’re--” 

“Huh? Wait, is it that weird? C’mon, we don’t have anythin’ like that in Inaba- what’s the deal?” 

“Nothing, nothing…” She regained her composure. “We’ll unpack, and then find a conveyor sushi place.” She smiled, shaking her head. “At least we’ll save some money.” She nodded, before walking off, Kanji jogging behind her with their bags in tow. 

After an uneventful visit to their hotel, the two of them were in the throws of Tokyo. Naoto looking around for the best subway routes and the best conveyor sushi places in the city on her phone, and Kanji gawking at the sights like some kind of foreign tourist. 

“Ah. I see. So if we take the Ginza Line…” 

“Woah! Naoto! That’s a mascot character just walkin’ around! I thought those were only on game shows!” 

“...And if we take a right there--” 

“There’s so much neon! D’you think we could check out a red light district? Those are s’posed to be part of the ‘big city experience’ too, right?” 

Naoto glanced up from her phone, raising an eyebrow. “...You know what’s in a red-light district, right?” 

“...Bars an’ crap, right? I mean, there’s supposed to be skeevy stuff too, but I wasn’t plannin’ on doing any of that.” 

Naoto shrugged. “Fine. I suppose we can check out the red light district. Nothing too crazy though. The last thing you’re doing is dragging me inside some crossdresser bar or something.” 

“Yes! Wait, what’s a crossdr-” 

“We’re not entertaining this subject any longer. Come. We’re going to miss our train.” 

She continued to walk off, as Kanji trotted behind. At least he naturally gave off an aggressive aura. City people were much different than the citizens of Inaba. Watching your step wasn’t an option. You had to move with authority, and present yourself as an expert no matter what. Especially during the nighttime. Scam artists could eat people like Kanji alive- if they weren’t too scared he was going to eat them first. It wasn’t like Kanji was trying to look intimidating. In all honesty, he had cleaned up his appearance a lot. His hair was back to black, and he started wearing glasses (although that seemed to be out of necessity and he had just… ignored his poor eyesight for some reason during his teenage years). It’s just that Kanji was in the upper percentile of the population when it came to height, and he had the muscle to back it up. 

In other words, Kanji was terrifying, and he and Naoto must have looked very strange together on the subway. 

They reached their destination, Kanji lumbering inside the sushi restaurant with a grin on his face, before sitting down. “Finally! Big city livin’ and big city eatin’!” He said, excitedly. 

“This will be a very interesting trip if your bar is set this low.” Naoto said with a laugh. “But I must apologize. You’ve been thinking about me so far, but I haven’t asked how things are in Inaba.” 

Kanji shrugged. “I dunno. Slow? I’ve been helpin’ Ma out with the textile shop, and I’ve been doin’ some private projects on my own. I’ve been seein’ Yukiko more often, I think she’s gettin’ bored at the Inn. She says that she could leave whenever and the staff would be fine, but I’m gettin’ the feeling she doesn’t want to leave and never come back, y’know?” 

Naoto nodded. She had never… talked much with Amagi concerning personal matters, but the Inn seemed to be an important part of her life. 

“Teddie is doin’ alright.” Kanji continued. “He’s been workin’ really hard at Junes, even while Yosuke’s been busy with school. I’m startin’ to think that he wants to earn enough to start to live independently. But, like, Teddie doesn’t have any legal documents or nothin’, so we’re tryin’ to figure out the logistics of that.” He sighed. “Still… good on him for workin’ harder. He’s still Teddie, but he’s definitely less of a pain. It’s kinda weird to see him tryin’ to be more responsible, but Yosuke’s happy because Teddie ain’t buyin’ a bunch of crap with Yosuke’s card anymore.” 

That was good. Teddie was… unique, and it seemed like he and Yosuke were practically living out a sitcom. Still, Teddie expressing more long-term responsibility was a nice change of pace. Teddie always seemed to live in the moment and didn’t think much about consequences. He probably… still didn’t, but as long as he was making an attempt… 

“Speakin’ of Yosuke, word is he’s gonna be taking over the Inaba branch of Junes in a couple years. Dude has been workin’ his ass off in college. When he came back from the summer, he said he needed to go into ‘relaxation hibernation’. Swear to god, for a whole week he just locked himself in his house and had Yukiko and I bring him food. He’s lucky he’s got such nice friends.” 

Naoto chuckled. “I’m glad he’s doing well. It’ll be nice to see everyone again for that Risette concert. I’m… really looking forward to it. Work has been productive, but a bit lonely, even with the group chat.” She glanced downwards. “...Thank you for adding me, by the way.” 

Kanji grunted, confused. “Uh. Why wouldn’t we?” 

“I don’t know. I thought that you all would have thought I didn’t want to participate in something like that.” 

“Nah. Besides, Yu-senpai wanted everyone to be there. I haven’t heard much from him as far as life goes. The only real big updates are from Rise when they get to meet up.” 

“Which can’t be too often. She’s an idol, after all. Romance is… very frowned upon.” 

Kanji scoffed. “It’s lame as hell. They’re a cute couple, but she’s gotta be all sneaky whenever she wants to visit him? Like, one time Rise was back in Inaba, and I saw Yu-senpai sneaking into the tofu shop at like, 6 AM just to spend some time with her.” 

“Seriously?” 

“The idol industry is wild. But… that’s all I got for Inaba gossip. The only person left is Chie, and she’s… doing something? What the hell do we know about Chie’s life right now? Failed the police exam, went to Sumaru City for training and has now bounced over to Tokyo for… something.” 

Naoto sighed. “That’s what I want to know. I don’t want her to get involved with anything that damages her chances of joining law enforcement. I know she’s been trying to stay strong and relatively ‘normal’ despite her circumstance, but that failure has had to have hit hard.” 

“...No kiddin’. You thinkin’ about goin’ to Yoyogi Park? Checkin’ up on her?” 

“Of course.” 

Kanji snatched up some sushi from the belt. “Want me to tag along?” He asked between chews. 

“...No thanks. I don’t want to overwhelm her. Tomorrow you can help me look for information, though. You can be my muscle.” She said with a smile. 

“You know I’ve always got your back, Nao. Plus, gettin’ a chance to explore Tokyo will be sweet! I mean, and solvin’ this whole Phantom Thieves case, too.” 

Naoto chuckled. “You’re allowed to have fun, Kanji. I’ll trust you to make sure I don’t get too wrapped up in this as well. I’m on a mission, but it won’t hurt to take a bit of a break too.” 

The two of them laughed before a man approached them. Unfamiliar, and… most likely unimportant. He reeked to alcohol and the vague smell of cigarettes. So… either an alley or the red light district. Great. 

“Hey Big Man, Little Lady. I heard you two mention the Phantom Thieves.” He said with a whisper. Naoto scooted back a bit so that her breathing could remain… uninhibited by the strangers' stench. 

Kanji and Naoto exchanged glances. 

“Uh, yeah.” Kanji finally replied. “Y’know somethin’ about them?” 

The strange man chuckled. “Know somethin’? I can do you better. Come to Shinjuku, and we’ve got a personal meet-and-greet with the gen-u-ine Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Kaitou Leader, Skull Mask, Cat Ears, the whole damn ensemble. And lemme tell you. They’re a pretty bunch. A little somethin’ for everyone.” He said with an incredibly uncomfortable wink. Naoto wanted to throw up. “Just 10,000 yen.” He added. 

“That seems a bit expensive,” Naoto noted. Kanji nodded. 

The guy guffawed, spittle landing on Naoto’s cheek. “Eh?! Nah, nah! It’s a small price to meet Japan’s heroes! Although if you want to be stingy, Little Lady, they might just steal your heart and give you no choice but to see the meet-and-greet of the fuckin’ century!” 

Naoto felt Kanji bristle behind her. “The hell is that supposed to mean, jackass?” He growled. 

The stranger glanced at Kanji, before backing up a bit. “Nothin’, nothin’, I’m just saying you shouldn’t miss this!” 

Naoto hummed, calmly taking one of the sushi plates from the conveyor. “Let’s settle this rationally. Let’s consider the idea that this man does have the location of the Phantom Thieves?” 

“I do.” The stranger said indignantly. 

“Then of course, we should notify the authorities. They are wanted criminals, after all.” 

“Uh-” 

“Sorry, I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself. Shirogane Naoto. Detective Prince.” She nodded slightly. “So… anything else you would want to tell us? I am… incredibly curious about the Phantom Thieves, and if you could take us to them, I’m sure you’d be happy to take my friends at the Tokyo Police Department as well?” 

“...Actually, I was just messin’ around!” The stranger said quickly. “Yep! Uh, I’m gonna go. Didn’t mean to mess with your meal. Sorry.” He quickly backed away, scooting out the door as Kanji huffed. 

“...What a prick. Tryin’ to scam people usin’ the Phantom Thieves name? I mean, I get merch is goin’ through the roof, but like… what even was he sellin’? I don’t like the way he winked at us.” 

Naoto sighed. “I… really don’t want to consider the logistics of a red light district ‘meet-and-greet’. But, on a lighter note, how’s the sushi?” 

“Amazin’! This is big city eatin’!” 

“...Are you going to say that for every place we eat?” 

“Probably!” 

Naoto laughed, leaning into Kanji. “...I truly hope this trip ends up being uneventful.” 

Kanji chuckled. “Same. I mean- I hope you get what you’re lookin’ for, but let’s have fun while doin’ it, yeah?” 

“...Yeah.” 

* * *

* * *

Ken sat by the lake in Yoyogi Park quietly, lying in wait next to Koromaru. He sighed, dejectedly. 

“Why’d you even drag me out here, Koromaru? Stargazing?” 

Koromaru whimpered, before gesturing towards an open area of the park. He watched as a small group began to gather. “...Huh? What’s this all about?” They were all wearing… really weird costumes. He squinted. They were wearing masks too. 

“...Wait. Does this have something to do with the Phantom Thieves?” He asked, quietly. Koromaru nodded his head. 

“...Did you find this out for me?” 

Koromaru panted happily. Ken beamed, wrapping his arms around the dog. “I can’t believe you, Koromaru. You really are amazing! If we can take out at least one of the Phantom Thieves now, then Kirijo-san will have to respect me again!” Koromaru barked happily, wagging his tail. 

He looked over at the open area again, watching as a massive stone-like arena structure was suddenly formed around the group. “...You know, I was gonna ask how you knew, but that seems kind of incriminating.” He hopped up to his feet, walking towards the structure. “...What do you think they’re doing in there? Training?” 

Koromaru barked. 

“Yeah, I think so too. Well… guess we’ll need to break it open!” He pulled out his Evoker, pressing it to his temples. 

The Phantom Thieves had managed to dance their way around him over and over. This time was going to be different. He’d take them on head-on, and then he could regain Kirijo-san’s respect, and be a part of the team again. He’d show her he wasn’t just some kid that was in over his head. He thought he had proved it to her before, but he was willing to try and prove it as many times as it took. He slowly pressed his finger against the trigger, closing his eyes. 

Besides, Koromaru was with him, and they were already an unstoppable team. 

“You ready, Koromaru?” 

“Arf!” 

Ken smiled, before pulling the trigger. 

“Come, **Kala-Nemi!** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT CHAPTER: More Naoto and a Big Dumb Fight
> 
> also congrats koro-chan has his first ever written dialogue line yaaay
> 
> I love Koromaru but he can't talk so its rough for me because i'm so dialogue-reliant (if you haven't noticed)
> 
> (you've definitely noticed)


	16. Counterstrike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ken fights the Phantom Thieves. Futaba is at her wits end. Makoto goes nuclear. Naoto makes a discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might be seeing that I'm sneakily adding chapters. That's because as I'm rewriting everything, I'm realizing that I need a LITTLE bit more space to get things from point A to point B to point C. So yes, there are 2 extra chapters.
> 
> 'Ugh, but you added two chapters, that's basically another week of having to wait for the ending!' you might be saying. Or maybe not. Most likely not, but work with me here.
> 
> WELL, fear not! Because you all are getting chapters today (Sunday), Monday, Tuesday, AND Wednesday before we go back to the Bi-Weekly schedule! This is my way of apologizing. Sorry. Gomenasai. Oopsy doops. I'm bad at content management.
> 
> Again, thank you very much for reading! Enjoy this Big Dumb Fight Chapter.
> 
> \- WiggityFresh

Things seemed to be going well in Haru’s opinion, all things considered. They were learning to make the best of their abilities, they were building connections with other Persona-users, and sure, Ren-kun got kidnapped, which was horrifying and extremely worrying--

Okay, so things weren’t exactly going ‘well’. Things were bad, and hopefully, Futaba could at least negotiate Ren’s return in a timely manner. Of course, she wasn’t exactly sure what they were going to do Ren’s kidnappers said ‘no’. Apparently, this was the Kirijo Group they were messing with. That was one of the biggest societal monoliths in all of Japan. If they wanted to keep Ren, there wasn’t much they could do, was there? Unless they had decided to make the decision to directly fight against Ren’s kidnappers, which seemed like a horribly reckless and incredibly ill-conceived choice, but… well, if there was one thing the Phantom Thieves did best, it was make the most out of reckless and ill-conceived choices.

Still, she needed to focus. In the case that things did get… drastic, it would probably be best to have Astarte summoned. She rejoined the rest of the group in the park, minus Futaba and Morgana, considering they had decided to stay behind to reason with Kirijo. But… still, this was an extremely big deal. 

“...Do you think Futaba-chan will be okay on her own? I mean, I know Mona-chan is with her, but this is a lot of pressure. Maybe we should postpone this and make sure Ren’s negotiation goes smoothly.” Haru suggested, nervously tugging at the collar of her vest. The group had donned their ‘thief attire’, with the added bonus of Eikichi-san’s hair dye. He had a point. It did make their identities a bit harder to discern. 

Makoto shook her head. Haru giggled slightly. Seeing Mako-chan with dyed hair seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. She really did look like more of a punk… although she may get upset if that was mentioned. Haru decided to keep it to herself. “Futaba will be fine. I suppose you weren’t part of the team when she was… well…”

“Yanking us around with the threat of blackmail?” Ann commented.

“Futaba-chan blackmailed you all?” Haru asked. Nobody really… sat around and talked about how each member joined the team. She assumed it was because it had become either irrelevant or somewhat common knowledge to the group by the time she had gotten there. Still… while Futaba-chan could be ‘maniacal’, it was more endearing than threatening. “Is Futaba-chan really capable of something heinous like that?”

“She wasn’t going to go through with it, but it took a while before we knew that for sure. And it was just so we could steal her heart. She didn’t mean anything malicious by it.” Makoto explained, shrugging slightly. “She was scared.”

“Point is,” Ann chimed in. “Futaba can handle herself via text. We should just focus on building our strength up now, in case Kirijo-san is a bit more than she can handle. That sound good?”

Haru nodded. “Right, of course!”

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. That was a solid enough plan. She took a deep breath, preparing herself. She had tried a number of things in the past couple of days to ‘spur’ her chances of summoning. Meditation. Herbal teas. Personas came from the strength of the heart and mind, so she had simply tried to soothe herself and gently coax it out. Like a kitten. Or, well, perhaps it didn’t help to think of her Persona as a kitten. Either way, she had made sure to be mentally ready for this! 

Of course, the others seemed to be preparing as well. While Yusuke-kun seemed like the next to awaken, purely because he had participated in that ‘Persona Game’ a few days back, he didn’t seem to be… putting much effort into it. Yusuke was odd in that way. He wandered over to the weapons that the Thieves had all brought- all models, but useful all the same. The melee weapons were still very painful to get hit by, and the guns were realistic enough to at least work as a threat. He lifted up his katana, expecting it, before glancing over at Haru. She pointed at her axe, as Yusuke kicked it over to her. It slid about half a foot before stopping, leaving Haru to go the rest of the way and pick it up.

...Understandable. Her axe was rather heavy.

And Makoto was… complicated. She had already seemed a bit bugged about not summoning earlier, but Haru didn’t want to pester her about it. Today was probably going to be the day, though! They were all going to awaken together in a beautiful and intense burst of friendship! It would be perfect!

“Sorry to keep you waiting, kids!” Maya’s voice rang out, as their instructors approached them. “Looking good everyone! Loving the new hair colors!” She clapped her hands together, before glancing over at Lisa-sensei. “Lisa, let’s get the arena up so we can get started, yeah? I don’t want to leave anybody waiting! Especially since Ren-kun is in trouble. Hopefully, we can talk it out, but y’know… if worst comes to worst, I want you to be able to kick ass!” 

...Maya-sensei was a hard woman to read. If there were cracks in her boundless optimism, she did a very good job at not letting them show.

Still. It was appreciated if anything. Morale needed to be high.

Lisa nodded, slamming her heel into the ground and summoning her Persona with a burst of blue light. The ground rumbled slightly before they were surrounded by a large, dome-like arena. Haru looked around. These Sumaru Persona-users had to be pretty strong, especially if they were able to casually do things like that. 

Maya cheered. “Wonderful as always, Lisa! Now, you’ve already fought me, and… well, you’ve kind of figured out my Main Persona’s weakness. So, you’re going to fight Kacchan!”

Katsuya-sensei stepped up, before raising his arm to the sky. In an instant, there was a blinding flash of light before his own Persona manifested behind him. A blur of black and white patterns at first, before solidifying into a humanoid shape. “You’ve seen Hyperion before.” He said. “Normally, I wouldn’t start with my main Persona, but I feel like I could suitably pressure you if I fought comfortably. Now, Yusuke-kun, you’ll be my opponent.”

Yusuke looked up, before approaching Katsuya. “I was stretching. I was under the impression we would be running laps first.”

Katsuya smiled slightly, adjusting his glasses. “That’s the catch. If you can summon your Persona and land one hit on me, Lisa won’t work you out. Of course, for each time I hit you, your teammates have to run two laps until you’re knocked out.” He pointed his finger at Yusuke. “Hyperion, Flare Shot!” 

A sudden beam of light shot from Katsuya’s Persona, slamming into Yusuke. The teenager rolled backward, clutching his chest. 

“...I see.” Yusuke glanced back towards his teammates, shrugging slightly. “I feel as if you all are going to be running for a while.”

“Don’t say that!” Ann whined. “Just focus on summoning!” 

Yusuke nodded, closing his eyes. He struck a pose, a brief flicker of blue energy wafting around him, before… nothing.

“...So, as I was saying-” Yusuke began before another barrage of light was shot towards him.

Haru frowned. She understood things were dire, but… was this really the best way to go about it? Perhaps Yusuke didn’t think he was in any real danger since Katsuya-san was purely testing him. Yusuke was always… aloof when it came to these sorts of things, so she wouldn’t be extremely surprised if he didn’t think he was in any sort of mortal peril. But then, if that was the case, what could possibly happen that could actually make him feel threatened?

...As soon as that thought came to mind, one section of the stone arena exploded. All of the Thieves turned to watch as a figure approached from the rubble. Their eyes glowed a faint blue for a moment, before dulling as the smoke cleared.

“...Amada-san?” Haru whispered.

She hadn’t expected to see Amada Ken again. She was… actually banking on it, but she had thought that if they had ever crossed paths again, it would be in some casual capacity. But… here he was. He had a spear clutched in one hand, and a gun in the other. He pointed the spear at the group, eyes narrowing.

“Are you the Phantom Thieves of Hearts?” He asked. 

The group looked amongst each other, before Ryuji cleared his throat.

“...If we say ‘no’, will you go away?”

Ken shook his head. “You know, it was a stupid question. Whatever. My name is Amada Ken, and on behalf of the Shadow Operatives, I’m going to take you down!”

Chie stepped forwards. “Wait, Ken-kun, maybe we can-”

“...Satonaka-san?”

Oh, this was also a problem. “Did you all get masks to prevent situations like this happening?” Haru asked, as the adults looked amongst each other with varying degrees of confusion.

“...I forgot about that.” Maya mumbled. Her companions seemed… equally embarrassed. 

Ken narrowed his eyes. “You’re working with criminals, Satonaka-san? I’m disappointed. But if I have to fight you too, that’s fine!”

Chie blinked. “Oh, crap. Don’t tell anybody--”

Makoto turned towards the non-Thieves, shaking her head. “You all need to leave. We can handle this, and we don’t want you getting caught in the crossfire. You all need to protect your reputations, and we’re the only ones heavily disguised. Besides, it only seems to be Amada-san, and Ann and Ryuji have their Personas awakened fully.”

The adults sighed, before stepping back. “Fine. Give us a call if you kids really need help though. We won’t stray too far!” Maya said, before gesturing to the rest of her team, as they backed off. Ken looked over at them, shaking his head, before focusing back on the Thieves.

“...I can deal with them later. Now, Phantom Thieves, I suggest you all surrender.”

Ryuji laughed. “C’mon, what’re you gonna do? You’re outnumbered, dude.”

Ken smiled, raising the gun to his head. “You’re the ‘Skull Mask’ one, right? I wouldn’t be so cocky if I were you.”

Ann took a careful step forward. “...Amada-san, please put down the gun. Don’t do something you might regret.” She said, her voice shaking a bit. 

Haru’s body tensed. What was Ken-kun planning to do? Kill himself and pin it on them? That seemed… terribly risky, and very extreme. But… well, Ken did seem committed to at least finding out the truth, and they were dancing around him at every turn. He pressed the barrel of the gun to his head, before suddenly pulling the trigger.

The sound of a gunshot rang throughout everyone’s ears as Ken’s body went slack for a moment, his eyes blank before he suddenly recoiled in a pillar of blue energy. The force exuding from Ken seemed enough to force the Thieves to brace themselves, all of them filled with a familiar sensation.

“...No way… Amada-san has a Persona?!” Ryuji yelled.

Whatever it was, it was big and fast. A blur of black and orange shot towards Ryuji, striking him and sending him flying to the other side of the arena, the group watching in horror as he slammed into the rocks and bounced to the ground. Amada smiled as the Persona faded, twirling his spear. 

“Kala-Nemi.” He said, “Since you all seem to know about Personas, that’s the name of mine. I’ve been training my Persona since I was ten years old, so if you think I’m frightened just because you all outnumber me, then you’re massively mistaken, ‘dude’.” He spun the gun around one finger, before pressing it to his head again. Another gunshot, as the recoil forced him to the side a bit. His Persona formed again, and Haru could get a better look at it as it charged up energy.

It was… robotic. In a different way than Makoto’s. It was faceless, a humanoid figure that had several rotating parts. The torso spun in a full circle as its massive arms sent electricity shooting everywhere. The group ducked and dove out of the way, Ann being the only one to get directly hit by the electricity. She grimaced, shaking it off. 

Makoto backed up, snapping her fingers as Ryuji jogged back to the rest of the group, coughing. “Alright! Since Futaba isn’t here, I’ll try to play ‘Nav’ as best as I can! Noir and Fox, stick near the back and try to get in whatever hits you can! Panther and Skull! Take front and center, since you’re strong enough to fight back!”

“Yes, Queen!” The thieves yelled, falling into position. This was a bit exhilarating, in Haru’s opinion, but still incredibly dangerous. Still, they did have the numbers advantage, correct? So this shouldn’t be considered too difficult.

Ryuji shouted, summoning his own Persona, as it swung its staff towards Amada. Haru winced. Getting hit point-blank by one of Ryuji’s attacks would definitely hurt. The staff smacked against the ground, as Amada leaped out of the way with impressive speed, landing on the ground gracefully before sprinting towards Yusuke, jutting his spear towards the artist. Yusuke unsheathed his model katana, throwing the blade up to block the attack. The two of them sat locked in combat for a moment, before Amada freed up one hand, effortlessly pulling out the gun-like object and shooting himself again. In one swift movement, the massive robotic Persona swept Yusuke off his feet, tripping the artist onto the ground. 

“Kala-Nemi! Vile Assault!”

“Hecate! Agidyne!” 

Amada prepared another attack, before the ground under him burst into a pillar of flames. It sent him spiraling into the air, Ann sprinting towards him pulling out her model whip as he began to fall. She lashed the whip out at him, the group watching as it whiffed past him and he hit the ground, tumbling before quickly recovering. Ken summoned his Persona again, as Haru could only watch as it grabbed both Yusuke and Ann with blinding speed, the torso beginning to rotate faster and faster before it became a blur alongside the two Phantom Thieves captured within its grasp. 

“Mahama!” Amada yelled, as his Persona began to glow with a bright, white light. There was a flash, before the torso of the Persona began to slow down. Ann and Yusuke were limp in its grasp, as Ken tossed them both to the ground. 

“A successful Mahama? That’s not even the strongest version of the skill, though… he would have to be incredibly lucky to get it to succeed against Ann.” Makoto mumbled to herself. Haru looked over at her, before her eyes widened. 

“Wait, Queen-chan, do you think…?”

“Amada-san’s Persona must specialize in speed and luck. And in that case, all of its other traits may be lacking. If we can land a clean hit on him, we may have a chance!” 

“On it!” Ryuji yelled, approaching Ken and slamming into him. The two rolled on the ground for a moment, as Amada reached for his ‘gun’.

“Get that gun! He needs that to summon!” Makoto yelled.

Ryuji quickly grabbed it, ripping it from Ken’s hands and tossing it in the air. He began wailing on Amada, as the brown-haired boy did his best to defend. 

“Now, Koromaru!” Amada yelled.

The area was soon filled with a long, echoing howl. It was chilling, and even more so as Ryuji was soon consumed by a dark mist and suddenly dropped unconscious. Another ghastly howl, and a ghostly white figure soon darted on the battlefield followed by a trail of flames. It bounded over to where the gun landed, before picking it up between his teeth and bolting over to Amada, loyally handing the gun over. 

“Good boy.” Amada said, nuzzling the animal. Haru squinted, before realizing that it was a dog. Normally, she would be thrilled to see a dog, especially considering how happy it looked to be petted, but… this was a different circumstance. The dog’s eyes locked onto Haru as it let out another haunting howl, summoning a Persona of its own. A three-headed animalistic beast with spindly limbs and bat-like wings. Its long necks straining as each fanged, dog-like head snapped towards Haru, before all three heads let loose jets of flame. Haru closed her eyes, throwing her hands up to defend herself.

**Has it come time to make my grand debut?**

A voice echoed in her head as the flames struck against an invisible barrier, before jettisoning back towards the animal. It took the flames head on, snarling.

**Consider that barrier ‘free-of-charge’, dear. Now, are you feeling up to fight? Or would you be content surrendering and watching from the sidelines?**

Haru dropped her arms, as her hands instinctively reached towards her face. “Let us not waste any more time! Please, lend me your power!”

**Good. Good! I am thou, thou art I, it is time for you to close the curtain on this silly battle!”**

Haru felt the power pulsing through her, she pointed her finger towards Amada. She felt her lips twist into an uncharacteristic grin, as Amada and the dog, Koromaru, braced themselves.

“Come, Persona! Blast them to pieces!” She yelled, as Astarte filled the air with ethereal, powerful gunfire.

* * *

* * *

Futaba typed furiously at the computer. It seemed as if negotiations were at a total standstill. Hell, it didn’t even seem like this Shadow Operative prick was planning on negotiating. They seemed to keep harping on the idea that the Phantom Thieves come clean and give up their identities to the public, which was a total no go. And they just… refused to budge, each time they did they would just add some other irrational condition, such as being forced to work with the Shadow Operatives or having the rest of the group give up their social lives and essentially become soldiers and hired guns for their little organization. It was insane. 

* * *

**Alibaba** : We can not, and will not reveal our identities to the public or to you. This is non-negotiable. Our leader has been cleared of all legal charges, and you have no right to hold him either.

* * *

"How's finding their location going?" Mishima asked, checking over Futaba's shoulder.

Her entire demeanor had switched, a dead-serious expression at her face as she effortlessly switched between messaging on Mishima's phone and deftly typing on her laptop. "It's going fine, I guess. I hate to admit it, but these people have some pretty good blockers set up."

Morgana stretched, hissing. "And their demands are unreasonable as well. They're holding an innocent man hostage, they can't possibly think that they're in the right, can they? Just- read this: 'The idea of defying us is useless. We currently hold all of the cards, and you've only just arrived at the table. Our position will not change, and if yours will not either, then your leader will simply have to suffer for your insolence. You have one week to comply, before we are forced to take action.' That's insane!"

"One week? That's barely any time to prepare, right?" Mishima asked, sighing. "What are you guys going to do?"

"Tell him something uplifting and cool to hide the fact that we're basically floundering right now..." Morgana commented.

"Hope Lucia can help us work around whatever firewalls these ‘Shadow Operative’ people have set up," Futaba muttered. “...And maybe get a direct link to their leader, outside of just… bantering back and forth through a semi-anonymous forum like the Phan-site." Mishima perked up.

"I can do that! To make forum posts, you need to input your given and surname, and your email! I can access it as an admin! I can get you the email to whoever you’re talking to!"

‘Lucia’ hummed through Futaba’s laptop mic. _"Not bad. You could have just asked me, but not bad."_

Futaba smirked. "For a Phanboy."

His eyes widened. "Is that my codename? Am I an official member of the Phantom Thieves?" He was practically vibrating on the bed, as Morgana let out an annoyed whimper.

"Just tell him yes so he calms down... I can barely sleep with all his screaming..." He yawned, covering his ears with his paws.

"Fine, fine, Nishima. I suppose you have helped us a couple times." Futaba replied flippantly, as he practically fell out of the bed in shock. "Now, can you just do your administrator thing and get that person’s name? Please? Although, would they really be ridiculous enough to put their real name and email on-"

"Got it!" Mishima held up the phone triumphantly. "Kirijo Mitsuru. And this email seems pretty official. Although, I think I've heard that name before, and if it’s what I’m thinking..."

"The Kirijo Group. It's literally one of the biggest companies imaginable. Which also explains why it's such a bitch to hack- most hackers would only make it halfway through and then find their way forcefully expelled with all of their data wiped." Futaba explained, pushing up her glasses, eyes not leaving her screen.

 _”Mitsuru-senpai herself…? She’s strict, but she’s normally more flexible than this…”_ ‘Lucia’ murmured.

"So, you're saying it's practically useless, right Futaba?" Morgana groaned, curling into a ball.

"We're not trying to hack into the company itself, so no. But now... we have a ping for a location. The Kirijo Group has a building in Tokyo- and with that, finding the one who's sending the messages should be a cinch. Actually, now I get to focus on something else! Send out a message to the other Thieves, I've got a plan!" She smirked, her typing speeding up.

"Uh, Alibaba-chan? What exactly is your 'new focus'?" Lucia asked, worriedly.

She turned around with a grin. "It's their lucky day. They're getting a personalized Futaba Cannon!"

* * *

* * *

This didn’t feel right. Naoto was approaching the park in the back of a taxi, arms crossed. Chie said she was out here, and while there was a pretty good chance she had left by now- it was getting fairly late- there was a chance that she may have been able to find some residual clues just from searching the area. She checked her phone again, 

* * *

**Shirogane** : I’M GOING 2 THE PRK  
**Shirogane** : R U THERE? PLS RESPOND Y/N  
**Shirogane** :CHIE  
**Chie** : uh please don’t??  
**Shirogane** : CHIE PLS RESPOND  
**Shirogane** : O  
**Shirogane** : APOLOGIES BT UNTIL I GET A GOOD REASON I AM GOING  
**Chie** : well i’m not there anymore. Where are u and kanji?? Let’s meet up  
**Shirogane** : KANJI IS BACK AT THE HOTEL  
**Shirogane** : CHIE R U IN TROUBLE  
**Shirogane** : U CAN TLK 2 ME  
**Chie** : i’m fine!!! Jeez naoto you can be so overbearin nothin is wrong ok ok  
**Chie** : there just isnt a reason for you to go all the way to yoyogi right now  
**Chie** : if you want to hang out in the park lets do it tomorrow morning!  
**Shirogane** : I WILL JUST BE THERE 4 COUPLE MINUTES  
**Shirogane** : ALREADY PAID TAXI  
**Chie** : please i need you to just. Not. for today  
**Chie** : please please please turn off detective brain and just hang out with me instead of going to some dumb park  
**Shirogane** : I’M SRRY

* * *

She was worried about Chie. Normally Chie was… overly open, when it came to things, so seeing her try and keep something so secret seemed unlike her. Chie had stopped responding after she apologized, which had to be a bad sign. She really was sorry though. Normally, she didn’t have any right to pry into her friend’s business, but this seemed bigger than just some marginal issue that Chie was having. If Chie was in danger, then it was Naoto’s duty as a friend to investigate and get Chie out of danger. That's what friends were for. And despite Chie’s pleading, there was going to be no chance that she was just going to abandon her.

“So… is there any real… appeal to Yoyogi Park? I don’t frequent Tokyo often.” Naoto asked her taxi driver. Making small talk, sure, but it was good to at least try and gather a little bit of information beforehand.

The driver grunted. “It’s pretty fuckin’ big. Fit a lot of people, and a lotta people can do stuff there. Lots of pretty lakes an’ stuff. If you’re tryin’ to do some kinda event, it’s probably the best place to do so.” 

Naoto nodded. “I see. Thank you.”

“Still, lady, I gotta ask. Why’re you makin’ the trip so late? Park’s open 24 hours, but most people don’t stay out that late--” He went silent as they got closer to the park, and the two of them heard something like an explosion in the distance. “...The hell?”

...That had to be something important. Well. Obviously, but something incredibly important towards her case. She didn’t have a real reason, but her intuition was getting the better of her. She couldn’t help but smile a bit. That rush, that adrenaline that seemed to pump through as soon as she felt like she had found some evidence that would turn the tides for good. She looked out the window, watches as flashes and pillars of blue energy, lighting, and flames rocketed into the sky.

“...Persona…?” She mumbled.

Her driver glanced back. “Wuzzat?”

“Nothing, nothing!” Naoto leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Faster, please! I’ll pay you more if you want, I just need to get there!” 

She just hoped that she didn’t miss whatever anomalous event was going on.

* * *

Makoto watched in shock as Haru summoned her Persona, watching as it elegantly rose forth amidst a tornado of blue, flaming rose petals. Haru always seemed to have a flair for the elegant and dramatic, although that dramatic pretense was quickly lost as Haru practically hailed gunfire down at Amada and his dog, watching as they were forced to duck and dive out of the way. Amada’s dog howled with a flash of green energy, watching as they both grew faster and nimbler. Apparently the dog knew ‘Sukukaja’.

Interesting.

They sprinted around, Amada suddenly changing directions and sprinting towards Haru. Haru lifted up her model axe, blocking Amada’s assault, but leaving herself open to 'Koromaru'. Haru screamed as the dog lit into her with another jet of flame, as Makoto tensed. She tried to focus, pull out her Persona using whatever rage she felt from watching her friend get attacked. She closed her eyes, fists clenched. “Come on. Persona! Persona! Persona!” She groaned, before shaking her head. “Gah, fine! Persona or no Persona, I’m fighting!” 

She charged towards Ken, gripping him by the collar and throwing him to the side. She had spent years training in Aikido before even discovering the power of Persona. She wasn’t just going to be relegated to the role of ‘useless’ purely because she couldn’t shoot nuclear lasers from her mind demon anymore. Ken blinked, standing up. 

“...They called you Queen, right? You seem familiar…”

“I assure you, we’ve never met.” She snapped back, before running at him. He jutted his spear towards her, as she stepped to the side, gripping the spear and yanking it- along with Ken- towards her for a headbutt. He reached for his gun, Makoto’s hand snapping towards his wrist as they both collapsed onto the ground, struggling. 

“I feel kind of bad for fighting a girl like this!” He yelled.

“Then stop fighting so I can beat you!” Makoto growled. The two of them rolled, before the gun suddenly went off in Makoto’s face. Her heart skipped a beat, her body tensing and freezing on the outside, as her blood began to pump even faster inside.

**I… am… thou...**

The voice faded as fast as it came. So… that gun really was responsible for summoning Personas. Perhaps due to the ‘stress’ that came with pointing a gun at oneself. That certainly did fall in line with Katsuya-sensei’s explanation of finding a stressor. She tried to pull the gun from his hands, before settling on jamming the barrel against her skull, forcing his finger to pull down on the trigger as Ken screamed in pain.

**There is a time and place for everything. Evoking power recklessly can lead to ruin.**

“Shut up and come to me!” Makoto snarled, feeling her body begin to heat up as she kept Amada pinned down. Her body began to flash, nuclear energy pulsing.

**What arrogance… I have truly missed this. The guise of an honor student holding the heart and soul of a brutal rebel. Fine then. I am thou. Thou art I. Now, present your power that you were so desperate to have.**

She turned around to look over at Haru, who was fending off the dog. “Noir! Back off! I don’t want you getting caught in this!”

Haru stared at Makoto, before focusing back on Koromaru with another swing of her axe, and another burst of psychic energy. “I can’t find an opening! Still, don’t worry about me, I can set up a barrier! Just do what you need to do, Queen! Now!”

Fine. She trusted that Haru was competent enough to do just that. Makoto braced herself, as Ken’s eyes widened in horror. He yanked the gun away from Makoto, pressing it to his own head as Makoto continued to flash and heat up. The energy bubbled inside her, her hair starting to rise as pulses of faint atomic energy began to radiate from her. Ken pulled the trigger against him.

“Kala-Nemi! Megidolaon!” He yelled, as a powerful bolt of energy seemed to shoot down from the sky. Makoto heard the sound of Haru summoning, hoping that she chose now to summon the barrier. 

“Now! Anat! Atomic Flare!” She yelled, her Persona forming behind her and letting out a vicious roar as her body exploded with energy. Her ears rang as the two attacks collided, her own senses being dulled by the impact. Luckily for her, the nature of her Persona at least blocked whatever bit of her power she was getting impacted by, but she wasn’t exactly feeling great on the receiving end of a Megidolaon. Her vision was blinded by the light as she rolled off of Ken, waiting for the ringing to stop and for her focus to return. Eventually, after a few minutes, it did, and she sat up.

“Oh.”

They were sitting in the middle of a massive crater. Blue, nuclear flames seemed to burn away at the ground, and sparks of remnant almighty energy flickered across the sky. Most of the blast had been impacted right on top of her and Amada, so while her fellow Thieves were laying in the aftermath, she doubted they were as hurt. She looked over at Haru, body covering the dog she had just been fighting earlier. She wobbled to her feet, looking dizzily over at Makoto. 

“...Casted Makarakarn on myself, and tried to defend the dog- Koromaru, I think Amada called him…” She murmured. Makoto looked over at Ken, and gasped. His clothes were burnt, his face scarred. She scrambled over, checking his pulse.

“...Oh, thank god.” She mumbled. He was hurt. Bad. But still alive, which was what was important. She placed a hand on his chest, focusing and sending a wave of healing energy through him. He coughed, eyes slowly opening.

“Amada-san? Are you okay?” Makoto asked.

“...Wh… what happened?” He asked.

“We… messed up. I messed up. I didn’t mean to--” She looked around at the wreckage. This was a beautiful park too. And she had just…

Ken slowly sat up. “...We need to get out of here.”

Makoto blinked. “Why? What’s going to--” There was the sudden sound of police sirens approaching the park. “Oh. Of course the authorities would get notified. We were barely being subtle.” She stood up, walking over to Haru. “We need to wake the others up.”

Ken slowly stood up as well, before shaking his head. “Let me. I… I wanted to do something useful, but this is anything but.” He summoned his Persona, carefully casting a spell towards Makoto’s fallen teammates. “Recarm.” He mumbled, as Makoto watched her teammates slowly rouse and stand up. 

“Why are you helping us?” Haru asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier for you to leave us to get arrested?”

“...Maybe. But… you guys don’t seem like bad people. At least not as bad as how Kirijo-san described you. You would have just left me passed out if you were, I think.” He smiled slightly, walking over to his dog and kneeling down to scratch him, gently casting a healing spell on the canine as well. “...Okumura-san. Niijima-san.” He glanced back towards them. “Am I right?”

Makoto folded her arms. Haru tilted the brim of her hat to obscure her eyes a bit more. Ken chuckled.

“...I want a rematch. A safer rematch, where I can find out what kind of people you really are. This was just me being petty and careless.” He looked away. “...No wonder they kicked me off the team.”

Haru glanced over at Makoto, concerned, before focusing back on Ken. “...Do you want to join us? At least until we all recover?” She asked. “I’m sorry you were… kicked off. I’m guessing it’s because of us.”

Ken stopped to think for a moment, before shaking his head. “...I don’t want to associate myself with the Phantom Thieves. Your ‘justice’ is different from mine.” Makoto watched as the dog nudged against Ken’s leg, whimpering. Ken sighed, before shrugging. “But… maybe give me your numbers? So we can talk. Honestly.” 

Makoto sighed, before walking over to Ken as he pulled out his phone. The screen was cracked badly. She grimaced. “...Sorry.”

Haru shook her head. “You don’t seem bad, Amada-san. And you’re pretty strong. Maybe you could come visit us…” She trailed off, glancing over at Makoto for permission. Makoto nodded. “Visit us at LeBlanc sometime. Also… well, we’d like to have someone who knows the inner workings of the Shadow Operatives. It may help us get our Leader back?”

Ken tilted his head slightly. “...What happened to your leader?”

“You don’t know?” Makoto asked, skeptically.

“I don’t--” He paused, as the sirens grew louder. “...We’ve gotta go. C’mon, Koromaru.” He said, starting to sprint off in the opposite direction as the wounded and previously unconscious thieves grouped up with Makoto and Haru. The police cars drew closer, as Makoto summoned Anat, watching as the large Persona transformed into a motorbike.

“...It’s gonna be crowded.” Ryuji muttered.

“It’s our only shot.” Makoto said, hopping onto her Persona. “Now, let’s go before the adrenaline fades and my fatigue really sets in.” She commanded, before the rest of her friends piled on as well, and the group sped off in another direction as the sounds of sirens faded in the background.

* * *

* * *

Ken and Koromaru sprinted away from the park, before the two of them found themselves a good distance away from any sort of law enforcement. Ken collapsed onto one knee, grimacing. He was grateful that Niijima-san had chosen to help him, but she had been pretty stingy regarding ‘how much’. Most likely to stop him from attacking again. She was pretty smart. He wandered into an alley, slumping down as he pulled out his Evoker. 

“I’ll catch my breath, and then we can heal up. Alright, Koromaru?” 

Koromaru yipped happily, before nuzzling against Ken. Ken closed his eyes, sighing. “...You fought really well, you know that? Sorry I was so careless, though.” 

Koromaru huffed, before swiftly jumping up and licking Ken’s cheek. “Ah- Koromaru! Fine, fine, I’ll stop being so hard on myself! Will that make you happy?” Ken said, laughing. 

“Arf! Arf!” Barked Koromaru, The two of them sat for a moment, before Koromaru looked towards the sky, growling quietly. Ken glanced over at Koromaru, before looking up in the sky, watching as the figure slowly descended down towards them. 

“Oh, that’s just Aigis-san.” Ken said, as the blonde weapon landed in front of them. Ken raised an eyebrow. She seemed… different. 

“Amada Ken. Koromaru. You two have caused quite a disturbance.” She said, her voice empty and monotone. “Kirijo-san wants you gone. You two have become a liability.” Aigis pointed her hands towards them, firing a quick around and knocking away Ken’s Evoker towards the alley’s entrance, and splintering Koromaru’s collar. Koromaru barked angrily. 

“You do not know what you are talking about, Koromaru. I am not ‘acting strange’. I am following the orders I have been given.” She aimed her finger guns at them again, as Ken heard a rustling come from the entrance of the alley. Aigis slowly turned to look over, as Ken cleared her throat, pulling her attention back onto him. 

“Aigis, what are you talking about? Why would Kirijo-san want us dead? If anything, she would just want us to go back to Port Island, right?” He asked, skeptically. 

Aigis’ mouth twisted into a malicious smile. Overly menacing. And in Ken’s opinion, far too expressive, especially when it came to Aigis. 

“Goodbye, Amada-san. You will not be missed.” She prepared herself to fire, before the sudden ring of an Evoker going off drew both of their gazes. 

“ **Yamato Sumeragi!** ” Came an echoing voice, as a small, lithe Persona burst forth. It twirled a rapier, tracing a dark, ominous circle in front of Aigis. “Mudoon!” 

Aigis snarled, before the dark circle burst in a sharp explosion of cursed energy, and her eyes grew blank. Aigis stumbled backwards, before crashing into the ground, knocked out for the moment. Ken looked to see who saved them, squinting at a young-looking person with short, blue hair. The stranger slowly lowered the Evoker- Ken’s Evoker, as Ken slowly pulled himself up to his feet. “I…” 

“It’s okay, Ken-kun.” The person said. That voice… 

“Shirogane-san?” He asked. 

She nodded, approaching them. “...I had gotten a glimpse of someone fleeing that… scene. I had hoped it would be one of the Phantom Thieves, but I’m glad it’s you. I thought you and Aigis-san were on the same side.” 

Ken frowned. “...Me too. Something’s wrong with her. She said that Kirijo-san wants me dead...” 

“That is strange… Do you know someone who can fix her? Or at least… check up on her?” 

Ken rubbed his chin in thought. “...I’m not totally sure. The Shadow Operatives… well, Aigis is a high-ranking member, and she wants me dead. I don’t know--” He paused, as a name came to mind. “Yamagishi-san! She was separating herself from the Shadow Operatives, and it doesn’t seem like she’s working with them as closely. Which was a bad thing then, but a good thing now, I guess.” 

Naoto nodded, walking towards Aigis and attempting to lift her up. “Yamagishi it is, then. Now, can you help me carry her?” 

“Yes, ma’am!” Ken said, wandering over and helping Naoto lift up the unconscious android. 

Ken frowned as they began to exit the alley, his mind racing. 

They needed to find out what was going on, and fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Persona battles are weird to write because whenever they're animated they just seem like Stand Battles with Less Arbitrary Steps, but they're also kind of interesting to write in a way. 
> 
> Also, Evokers seem insanely impractical for high speed battles, because you have to stop and shoot yourself in the head EVERY TIME YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING. Like say what you want about symbolism but S.E.E.S was really lucky they fought in a turn-based enviroment.
> 
> ALSO also Kala-Nemi is portrayed as really slow in game-at least as far as animation goes, but like... stat-wise? This Persona is fast as hell. Like, just going through the Megaten Wiki and checking stats, Kala-Nemi seems like... the fastest Persona ever. Also insane luck stat at 99. Insane. 92 luck? Is that allowed?


	17. Take Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Thieves come to a decision. Fuuka, Naoto, and Ken make a discovery. The Shadow Operatives get a calling card. Ryuji uncovers a new mystery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh, what's this? A chapter off-schedule? 
> 
> I explained this last chapter in the notes, you all know the deal.
> 
> One more chapter tomorrow, and then ANOTHER Wednesday, and then we're back on track! Woo!

Futaba watched as her teammates stumbled into LeBlanc. They definitely looked… worse for wear, and she had a pretty good idea why. The news wouldn’t shut up about it. She watched as Makoto slid into a booth, before practically falling asleep instantly. That was… unlike her. She looked up from her laptop, her fingers taking a break from the rapid typing they had been doing for the past couple of hours, and she suddenly realized that they were numb. Huh. “...So, fun practice?” She asked. 

Ann groaned, sliding into the booth seat across from Makoto. “No, it sucked. We got attacked, and this guy beat the crap out of us.”

“It seems as if our skill as Persona-users are… basic. Although being summoned has enhanced our physicality slightly, we can’t move as we did in the Metaverse.” Yusuke lamented, supporting a limping Ryuji. 

“Makoto and Haru basically managed to win for us. I mean, it seems like that Amada guy is gonna get off our ass for a bit, so I guess that’s kind of a win.” Ryuji mumbled, not even bothering to find a booth or a stool, and slumping onto the floor instead. 

“I wouldn’t say that,” Futaba mumbled, before picking up a remote and pointing it at the television in the back corner of LeBlanc, switching it to the news. The thieves stared at the screen in growing horror as camera crews covered the wreckage from their confrontation. The news stations were freaking out, and social media had basically exploded with theories and grainy and blurry pictures from her teammates little… confrontation.

Haru gasped. “...’Masked assailants bomb park’?” She read, as the words scrolled across the screen.

“They’re calling us terrorists? The hell?” Ryuji grunted, rubbing his eyes. “We weren’t even doin’ anything. That Amada guy was the one that attacked us!”

Morgana got up from Futaba’s lap, wincing a bit as he hopped onto the table. “That’s because while you guys are powerful, you’ve lost your sense of style and grace. You’re too comfortable with being ‘strong enough’ that you’re not giving any real thought to how you use that power. Although… people are saying the explosion had some traces of radiation to it.” He looked over at the sleeping Queen, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t have thought Makoto would have been that careless. I could expect that from you, Ryuji, but not her.”

Futaba shook her head. “Hang on, though. They haven’t blamed it on the Phantom Thieves yet. But uh… I’ve only got more bad news. They’re not giving up Ren, so I think we should send a calling card and try to take him back ourselves.”

Yusuke frowned. “Why send a calling card, though? It isn’t as if we’ll actually be stealing our kidnapper's distorted desires.”

“Didn’t I just say you lost your sense of style?” Morgana huffed. “It’s about the aesthetic and sending a message. Security may increase, but they’ll also be more sloppy, especially since they don’t truly understand how we operate. Besides, it’s more of a personal courtesy for Kirijo-san. A true mark of phantom thieves.”

Ann raised an eyebrow. “...Kirijo-san? As in Kirijo Mitsuru? Isn’t she the head of the Kirijo Group?”

“And also the head of the Shadow Operatives,” Futaba added. “She’s the one who really kidnapped Ren. And she wants us to basically swear loyalty to her if we want him back. And, uh, I’ve got other things to do and worry about, so that doesn’t exactly work for me. How about everyone else though?”

“...Fine then. I will go along with this.” Yusuke said with a nod.

“How much time we got?” Ryuji asked. “I don’t mind takin’ down another corrupt adult.”

Morgana stretched. “Kirijo-san gave us a week. So, we’ll state that by the end of the week, we’ll be out with her ‘treasure’. Treasure being Ren, of course. Still, we’ll need to make this unanimous. Anyone opposed?” He looked around, as none of the Thieves brought up any complaints.

Haru raised her hand. “Mona-chan, Makoto is still asleep. Perhaps we should wait for her input?”

Morgana nodded before a groan came from the booth.

“...I’m awake. If you all think it’s a good idea, sure. I just…” Makoto trailed off. Haru raised an eyebrow.

“Uh, Mako-chan. Is something bothering you.”

“...It’s fine. I just need to rest.”

Futaba cleared her throat. “Guess it’s unanimous then. This’ll be our first mission without our leader, so… that’s rough. But we’ve got Maya-sensei and the others, right?”

Ann yawned, peeling off her mask. “Speaking of the ‘others’, where’s Lucia-chan? Weren’t you working with her?”

Futaba shrugged, leaning back. “She said she had something’ important to do, and well- I didn’t want to be the one to stop her.”

“Something more important than what’s occurring now?” Yusuke asked, dubiously.

“Don’t be a jerk, Inari. Besides, she said she needed to help out a friend. So, that’s gotta be pretty important, right?”

“Futaba-chan is right,” Haru said. “...But, um, I think we may need to lay low for a moment. Do you mind if we stay at LeBlanc, or if Boss has any space for us at his home?”

“No prob! But don’t get to sleep yet, because tonight- we’re sending that jerk Kirijo a personalized Futaba Cannon! So, like- I guess it’d be a Futaba Gun? Futaba Pistol. Futaba… Grenade Launcher. Futaba Firework...”

“You ruined the moment…” Morgana whined. “You should have just stopped at ‘Futaba Cannon’.”

“Aw, dammit!”

* * *

* * *

Fuuka sat at her laptop, tapping away furiously. Her setup had already been… complex. Several monitors, each one searching away at data regarding the Phantom Thieves, but she had started to repurpose them for information on the inner workings of the Kirijo Group, and to pick away at Mishima-kun’s ‘Phan-Site’. She was a bit embarrassed to have company over. Her hotel room, computers and electronics aside, was a bit of a mess. Several cups of instant noodles sat stacked around her, alongside other snacks. She had never considered herself a ‘shut-in’ in any capacity, but… 

“Thank you for allowing us to come here,” Naoto said. Fuuka could tell she was trying to keep her voice as level as possible. She was already anxious enough, especially since now she was delving into Aigis’ code- which seemed like a deep breach of privacy, but considering what Ken-kun and Shirogane-san had told her, this seemed warranted. 

“It’s not a problem.” Fuuka replied quickly, “...Still, you said Aigis-chan attempted to kill Ken-kun and Koromaru? That seems very out of character for her.” She said, glancing over to the side to look at Aigis’ sleeping form. The living weapon sat peacefully, eyes closed, as wires connected her to Fuuka’s monitor setup. She had spent about three hours just cracking past the different sets of firewalls and blockers Aigis had set-up. She was supposed to be incredibly hard to crack into, so the fact that someone was able to get inside and change her personality that drastically was… impressive.

Impressive in a scary way of course. Although Fuuka wouldn’t be opposed to, well, finding out who this mystery person was and talking with them.

Ken yawned, laying down on Fuuka’s hotel bed, which had gone criminally unused. She had been sitting for… well, maybe days. Not straight- she got up occasionally- but she had only taken short naps and continued working for the most part. Cracking wasn’t exactly an easy thing to do. And she was a bit of a novice compared to Alibaba-chan. 

“Yeah. Do you think Aigis will be okay?” He asked.

“Aigis will be fine if I can find out who did this,” Fuuka replied, as Koromaru pawed at one of the half-eaten noodle cups, before snatching it away in his teeth. “Still…” She continued typing for a moment, before stopping. “Aha- a breakthrough!”

Naoto, Ken, and Koromaru all gathered around the screen. “...You may need to explain this to us, Yamagishi-san.” Naoto said, bluntly.

Fuuka stared at the code at the screen, before nodding. “...Right. Well, all of the drastic changes were made to the personality section of Aigis’ ‘brain’. Which is obvious, of course, she’s exhibiting different personality traits than usual. The thing is when we move into her actual memories--” She clicked around for a bit longer. “There are massive chunks that are drastically changed. And not just deleted, or set to be ‘invisible’, but actively changed.”

Naoto nodded. “Are there any common threads between these altered memories?”

“Seems like. Kirijo-senpai was present in all of them.”

“...Can you replay them?”

“Only some of the audio, I think. Let’s see…” She clicked on one of the filed memories, grainy audio starting to leak from her speakers.

_”Kirijo-san. I have captured the Trickster, as you requested.”_ Came Aigis’ voice, still unnervingly monotone. 

_”Brilliant. It seems as if things are going to plan. And Sanada?”_ Came Mitsuru’s voice. There was definitely something different about it, almost as if two people were speaking at once. It was hard to tell through the audio though. It wasn’t heavily corrupted, thankfully, but that didn’t mean it was nice to listen to.

_”The charm seems to still be in effect. But it is wearing off. He is starting to express more doubts towards you and your cause.”_

“...Sanada-san is under a charm spell?” Ken asked, frowning slightly. “...But, he seemed fine to me.” Naoto motioned for Ken to be quiet, as Mirsuru spoke again.

_”...Figures. Alter his personality too much, and people would be bound to notice. Cast just enough to keep him obedient, and he starts to shrug it off every few hours. The man has a staggering amount of constitution. Aigis, can you be useful and tell him to come up to my office once we’re done?”_

_”Of course, Kirijo-sa…”_ Aigis trailed off. _”...There is something wrong.”_

_”Oh? Tell me, what’s wrong, Aigis?”_ Came Mitsuru’s reply. Incredibly smug, and disconcertingly calm. _”Have you perhaps ‘noticed’ something as of now?”_

_”...You are not Mitsuru-san.”_ Aigis finally said, after a moment’s pause. Her voice sounded more… normal. An inflection of concern. Emotion that hadn’t been there previously. _”...What did you do to Mitsuru?”_ She asked, anger creeping into her voice.

_”Don’t worry about it, Aigis.”_ A long, sarcastic round of applause followed. _”Good work. Still, this conversation is pointless. Let’s just skip to the point. Do you want to know how this ends?”_

_”With you destroyed.”_ Aigis said, confidently. There was a sound of weapons clicking and gears turning. _”Persona!”_

_”You say that every time.”_

The resulting ‘battle’- if it could be considered as such- lasted only a second. The sound of Aigis moving, before suddenly colliding with an unknown object. Aigis screamed out in pain for a few seconds, before suddenly going silent.

_”I hate machines. They’re an ignorant showing of mankinds attempts to be ‘advanced’. But… they are quite useful.”_ Mitsuru murmured, her voice growing louder as she approached. Then, there was a sudden string of words. Harsh to the ear, hardly in any sort of human tongue that Fuuka knew. The group winced as they listened before Mitsuru began speaking in something understandable again. _”...There. Now, what do you last remember?”_

_”You asked me to get Sanada-san… I will call Sanada-san to your office.”_ Aigis replied, her voice back to the ominous monotone it had before. _”Excuse me, Kirijo-san.”_

Mitsuru chuckled. _”Thank you very much, Aigis. You’re dismissed.”_

The recording ended with the sound of Aigis’ robotic footsteps exiting what Fuuka assumed to be Mitsuru’s office. 

A few seconds passed before anyone spoke up. Fuuka’s lip quivered as she turned to look over at her unconscious teammate. “...I’m sorry Aigis.” She mumbled, as Naoto folded her arms, sighing softly.

“...So, I’d consider that conclusive evidence that Aigis wasn’t acting on her own free will in any capacity.” Naoto noted.

“...But… Kirijo-san was able to stop Aigis in less than a second. Kirijo-san isn’t that powerful- at least not without charging her strength first. So… what happened?”

Fuuka remained silent for a moment, before turning back to her laptop, her fingers frantically typing again. “I guess we’ll need to look deeper. It seems like the only thing that hasn’t been messed with is her actual… Persona-summoning apparatus. But, well, that isn’t exactly something that can change. Ever since she’s gotten our Leader’s power, I just assumed it was untouchable. The power of Persona is something bigger than all of us, after all.” Fuuka replied, eyes locked on the screen.

She delved around in Aigis’ actual personality code, before stopping. “...What… is this…?” Between the lines of actual legitimate code, it just seemed like a garble of nonsense. It was written in English script, but it wasn’t in any actual legible English. 

Naoto leaned over Fuuka’s shoulder. “It’s too structured to be gibberish. What is this… ‘Nyarurathot’phu fhtagn’? It seems… alien. There’s some mangled Japanese in there too.” She glanced at Fuuka. “Let’s see… ‘Kaos wa g’nn’i no f’k’ri kaa t’chiaga’o’... Yamagishi-san, can you try and translate it?”

“I can try, but let me try and delete it first. This may be what’s forcing Aigis to act so strangely.” She copied the text, saving it somewhere else for later reference, before starting to chip away at the strange lettering littering the inner workings of Aigis’ mind. 

There was a lot. And she had to rewrite a lot of the code just so that Aigis didn’t wake up with massive chunks missing from her ‘brain’, but after an hour, she was finally done. Naoto had been trying to mull over the meaning of the text.

“...’Kaos’ is the only clear ‘word’ in that mess. But… chaos? And what is that… I’m assuming it was a name as it was the only thing other than ‘Kaos’ that was capitalized but… I’ve never heard it before…”

“I’m done,” Fuuka called out. “I’m about to reactivate Aigis. Ken, brace yourself. I would say Koro-chan too but…” She looked at Koromaru’s destroyed Evoker collar. “I’ll fix that later Koro-chan, I promise.”

Koromaru whimpered but nodded in understanding.

Ken brought his Evoker to his head, nodding. Fuuka pressed confirm on the prompt to reawaken Aigis and braced herself. The blonde android sat still for a moment before her eyes slowly opened.

“...Good evening, Aigis…” Fuuka said, cautiously. Aigis’ gaze slowly shifted over to Fuuka, before she smiled. That was good. 

“...Good evening, Fuuka-san. Where… am I?”

“You were having some trouble with your mind. Do you… remember anything?”

Aigis’ brow furrowed. “Not particularly well. I’m sorry. I…” She looked over at Ken, still tense with Evoker in hand. Her eyes widened slightly. “...I tried to hurt Ken-kun. It was a blur, but it was dark- and…” She looked at her hands. “...I need to get to the Kirijo building.” She said, suddenly.

“...Why, Aigis?” Fuuka asked, calmly.

“There is a fake sitting where Mitsuru-san sits. I must destroy her before she does any more damage.” She replied, anger filling her voice.

Naoto shook her head. “You’ll lose. We need to formulate a strategy first.”

“But won’t Kirijo-san get suspicious if Aigis-san is missing for too long?” Ken asked. “Maybe we should let Aigis go back, but have her act as if she’s still under the false Kirijo’s control.”

Aigis sighed. “I can… accept that course of action. I prefer it to just sitting around and waiting for the worst to happen. I can try and access old memories so as to not tip the false Kirijo off with my behavior, and so she does not… alter me again. But… please, let me go.”

The others exchanged glances, before Fuuka nodded, starting to unhook Aigis. “Alright, Aigis- be safe.” 

The anti-Shadow weapon hopped up, before heading to the window- throwing it open. “Good.” She turned to face Fuuka and the others, bowing. “I will report back to you tomorrow night. I am grateful for your help. Thank you very much.” And with that, she hopped out the window and rocketed off into the night sky. 

Naoto nodded. “...I suppose we have to stay and wait.”

“Seems like,” Fuuka muttered. “...You’re welcome to stay here with me, Ken-kun.” She offered. Ken looked around the cluttered room, before chuckling. 

“Thank you, Yamagishi-san. C’mon, Koromaru. Let’s at least start to pick up everything.” He said, before starting to wander around the room, picking up everything. 

Fuuka flushed, embarrassed. She was normally much more organized than this, but if she started protesting now, then people would think she was either lying, desperate, or both. She looked over at Naoto sheepishly. “...And you?”

“I’ll see what I can do with that text you found. I’m assuming you have… more covert business to attend to.”

Fuuka blinked. “I-I-I was just--” She stammered. Naoto raised a hand, signaling for her to stop.

“It was obvious. The way you suddenly ended your voice call and sloppily tried to close any incriminating tabs when we came to visit. Yamagishi-san, you know better than to hide things from a detective. I won’t pry now, but I may have a few questions for you in the future.” Naoto smiled coyly, before walking out. “I’ll keep in touch, Yamagishi-san. Take care.”

“...Y-yeah, take care, Shirogane-san.”

* * *

* * *

Mitsuru burst into the interrogation room, frantically opening the door before pausing at the sight before her. Ren was even more chained down than before, the most mobility he had being his neck and potentially his shoulders. Yukari, Aigis, and Akihiko were all holding various types of ropes and chains. "...What’s happening here?"

Akihiko clipped another lock on. "He’s really tricky. So we, uh, put on some more countermeasures. The idea just kind of… came to mind, but I’m glad Aigis came back in time to help me out. Still, how long are we planning on holding him?"

"I gave them a week- but that's not the point. I've gained direct contact from the Phantom Thieves, and they've sent me a file. The message attached said to 'not open without Leader present', so I decided to give them this one request." She opened up her laptop, clicked the file, and two shadowy figures appeared on screen, accompanied by music.

A high-pitched, distorted voice began speaking. _"You've really caused some trouble now, haven't you, Joker? This is Alibaba of the Phantom Thieves!"_

"Joker? I guess that's their leader's codename? I kind of like it." Akihiko commented as he folded his arms. She frowned, shooking a glare back at him.

_”It is pretty stylish, ain’t it?”_

Akihiko took a shocked step back. “The hell? She can hear me?”

The other figure spoke up after clearing her throat, in a lower, distorted tone. _"Moving on, I am Queen of the Phantom Thieves. You seem to be in good health, Leader.”_

Ren raised an eyebrow, as the higher voice cackled. _"I mean, outside of looking like the world's worst Houdini act, but whatever. Here's the big reveal! Or, well- you might have guessed this already, but we can do more than hear you! We can see all your beautiful faces! But, just because it's live doesn't mean you should try tracking us down. I have burner laptops for this stuff, and we're totally using Big Bang Burger wifi!"_

"What the hell? How do you think they found us?" Akihiko grimaced, nervously flexing his fingers.

"I told you all this was a bad idea!" Yukari yelled.

A picture of Mitsuru appeared on-screen, accompanied by crudely-edited devil horns, and a cat-like avatar chewing at her face. _"Kirijo Mitsuru, reigning head of the Kirijo Group. Corporate leader of arrogance, greed, and ignorance."_ 'Queen' began. _"You have committed the grave act of kidnapping our leader, threatening us, and provoking our ire. You claim to be acting in the face of justice, and see us as nothing more than terrorists, despite being the only one acting aggressively in this situation. So, I simply ask you this: What will you do once that 'justice' is stripped away?"_

_"Queen, Queen, maybe we should let the others have an opinion, right?"_ Several boxes appeared on the screen, each of them with a figure obscured by darkness. One of them finally spoke up- his face almost impossible to make out, but he had some sort of skeleton mask on.

_“Oi, these are the people that kidnapped our leader? They don't look so tough.”_ He said, his voice gravelly and distorted. 

The second spoke up. A young woman with bushy pigtails and some sort of cat mask. _”Well, I suppose they thought they could get away with it didn't they? That's what always happens…”_

The next. Another young man with some sort of kitsune-based mask. _”So, our next target is the Kirijo Group? I'd say that's a set-up for quite the performance.”_

Another spoke up. A woman with a large-brimmed cap. While her eyes were difficult to see through the darkness, they were still incredibly chilling. _“You have made a grave mistake in angering the Phantom Thieves. Your justice, your false sense of morality, we will crush it in our hands, and you will have nothing left but your regrets and anguish. Prepare yourselves.”_

The final box just had a silhouetted cat in it. The cat meowed for a couple of seconds, as Ren chuckled. 

The skull-masked boy spoke again, clenching his fist. _“Joker! Hang on tight! we're gettin’ stronger by the second, and we'll be there soon with an entire can of whoop-ass!”_

Ren smirked, as the Shadow Operatives glanced between each other. Aigis frowned. "This current dialogue makes us seem like we have become the 'villains' in this situation."

"They're simply twisting our words and intentions!" Mitsuru snapped. "We're not going to break down just because they're threatening us!"

_"Ooh, feisty!"_ Alibaba chuckled. _"Well, go on Queen, tell them what these lucky people have won!"_

_"Gladly, Alibaba. You have given us one week's time to discuss and comply with your ideals, we have decided to flip that pressure right back onto you. You have one week before we stage our assault on the Kirijo Group. You all have hearts that need to be changed, and before you realize it, we will be out the doors with our leader and your Treasure!"_

The message finished, leaving a picture of the Phantom Thieves logo with the caption: TAKE YOUR HEART.

The Shadow Operatives sat in stunned silence.

"...Did we just get a calling card?" Yukari asked suddenly, her voice squeaking. "You know, those things that get sent literal days before someone goes through a drastic personality change?"

"Yup." Ren responded calmly.

"Alright, kid. You gotta tell us your methods, and then we can arrange some sort of peace thing. Your friends will listen to reason, right?" Akihiko asked, folding his arms. Mitsuru shook her head.

"No. We have one week to prepare, as they said. I will not back down to paltry threats." She turned around. "We have connections. We'll call in the reserve members of the Shadow Operatives, and I'll need you all to contact the Persona-users of Inaba. Tell them to regroup, cover any sort of base possible. Sniff out the Thieves before they can reach us, or simply ensure that they don't even get close to 'Joker'." She commanded, before storming out.

Yukari buried her face in her hands. "This is insane, Mitsuru's actually gone insane!"

Aigis shook her head. "The pressure may be getting to her. I say we take action in both directions. We attempt to contact the Phantom Thieves once more, and we prepare backup. Their leader is powerful enough on his own, allegedly, and I counted six others. We may be dealing with a sizable threat." She followed Mitsuru out of the room.

"Akihiko, you're with me right?"

"Mitsuru has to have some sort of plan. She always does. We... we just need to get a handle on what it is first, and then actually discuss it. You stay with 'Joker'." He left as well.

Yukari stood next to Ren, shaking her head. "I am so sorry about this."

He shrugged- as much as he could in his bindings. "I know."

"Are we going to die?"

"No. But they mean what they've said. I'm kind of curious to see how they pull it off." He commented, brow furrowing.

Yukari shook her head. "Must be nice at least having some faith in your team. I'm starting to get worried..." She sighed, as the silence settled over the room, and she slumped against the wall.

* * *

* * *

"I can't believe I just threatened Pink Argus," Futaba whispered, shutting her laptop. This was literally the worst thing ever. She had tried to keep her cool throughout the entire calling card, but she had her limits. Any longer, and she would have collapsed into an otaku panic right there. And it was super creepy to think this, but Takeba-san was still pretty even when she was being threatened.

Oh god, she actually thought that. 

Wasn’t there a church in Kanda? A temple in Kichijoji? She needed to dive headfirst into a confessional or something. Cleanse her dirty gremlin heart.

"I can't believe you actually got that to work with Big Bang Burger wifi," Makoto commented, looking down at the street from the roof of the fast-food restaurant and snapping Futaba out of her panicked trance. "...But who would have thought that Takeba was one of them?"

"We're literally going to be fighting a Featherman." Futaba sighed, covering her face. "We don't have a chance!"

"Not with that attitude. Let's regroup, and then we can begin training with the others." Makoto said before Futaba smashed the laptop against the ground. "Jeez- Futaba!!"

"I told you earlier, it was a burner. I bought this for like, 10,000 yen. It's fine."

Makoto sighed, shaking her head. "...Whatever you say. Well, let's get going."

Futaba stood up, as her phone buzzed. Makoto and she both checked their phones, as the group chat practically exploded with chatter.

* * *

**Ryuji:** yo is it me or were they all hot  
 **Yusuke** They were all very attractive, yes.  
 **Ryuji:** ok thanks yusuke im glad im not the only one  
 **Ryuji:** so what does that mean about us?? Are we just a team of ugly persona users  
 **Ann:** I don’t think you’re ugly Ryuji!! Although you do need better fashion sense b/c if I see another ‘ZOMG’ shirt i’m going to actually commit seppuku  
 **Yusuke:** If you do, please call me. I’ve never seen ritual Seppuku in person.  
 **Haru:** Please don’t commit Seppuku, Ann-chan!! I’d be really sad! ｡･ﾟﾟ*(>д<)*ﾟﾟ･｡  
 **Ryuji:** hey i lost that shirt do u know where it is  
 **Ryuji:** ann.  
 **Ann:** Sooooo, wasn’t that the Takeba lady you all were trying to see? Who would have thought she was in on it?  
 **Futaba:** I KNOW WE’RE DOOMED SHES GONNA FEATHER KICk ALL OF US  
 **Yusuke:** That’s a drastic change of tone. You sounded fairly confident during your calling card performance.  
 **Futaba:** SHUT THE FUCK YOUR MOUTH INARI  
 **Makoto:** Futaba.  
 **Futaba:** *FRICK  
 **Makoto:** ...Sure. Okay.  
 **Ann:** Speaking of the calling card, everyone did great! I was super nervous.   
**Haru:** Same. Do you think I was too verbose?   
**Ann:** Not at all!! I actually kinda wished I said more haha  
 **Yusuke:** You were very eloquent, Haru.  
 **Ann:** ...But, man, Morgana really went in on Kirijo-san, huh??  
 **Ryuji:** yeah lmao mona went crazy  
 **Yusuke** He probably misses Ren. That may explain why he was so harsh.  
 **Haru:** Mona-chan wants me to tell you all that he wasn’t being overly harsh and it wasn’t because he missed Ren.  
 **Haru:** (I think he’s lying.)  
 **Makoto:** Harshness aside, I think we got the point across. We just need to prepare now. Let’s all get some rest, and contact Amano-san in the morning to see what we can do next as our previous training grounds are… inaccessible at the moment.  
 **Futaba:** Good work team!! LeBlanc tmrw morning! Coffee! Curry! Plans to take down a corrupt member of the upper echelons of Japan!! We’ll have it all!!  
 **Ryuji:** seriously tho ann what did you do to my funny ‘zomg’ shirt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hate ryuji's 'zomg' shirt with a burning passion
> 
> nobody in a year past 2010 would wear that ever i swear to god.
> 
> Also that really is mangled up japanese in the 'message' found in Aigis' code. Mangled first through just being siphoned through google translate, and then I manually mangled it myself. The only unique word was 'fhtagn', which I pulled from somewhere else.


	18. Pursuing My True Self

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Investigation Team Arrives. 
> 
> Ren is called to the Velvet Room. Chie is very bad at lying. Mitsuru unveils something big. Naoto uncovers the Phantom Thieves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **[7]** Days Until The Deadline.

He had to admit, being back in the city was nice. College life was nice, but just taking the time to explore a sprawling city like Tokyo brought a lot to the table. Still, it was all very sudden. Sure, Kirijo-san managed to get them express tickets, and paid the full price, but she didn’t give much of an explanation on why they needed to be there. 

“Dude, you are a lifesaver! I swear, every time you come around, it’s like my luck turns for the better!” Hanamura Yosuke cheered, slapping Narukami Yu on the shoulders as they approached the Kirijo building.

Yu laughed, shaking his head. “All you did was get an extra soda from the vending machine. Besides, aren't you the manager of the local Junes branch? It’s not like you’re flat broke.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t want to pay for two colas, and you come out of the blue and all of a sudden the machine spits out another one! C’mon, why don’t you just live with me in Inaba over the summer? Having someone like you around could make the place a helluva lot less boring.

“I don’t know. You seem pretty content living with Teddie.”

“Don’t even joke about that, man! I ne~ed you!”

A hooded girl approached them, scoffing. “God, Yosuke. You’re so clingy, it’s not even funny.”

Yosuke gasped in mock surprise, pointing at the woman. “Woah, Yu, look! Is that the real Risette? Right there?”

She looked around quickly, before pulling her hood even further over her face. “Shut up! Do you know how hard it was to get through the city without being recognized? It’s supposed to be another few weeks before I even set foot in Tokyo- and it took forever to convince management to let me go!”

“How’d it take forever? We got the call to come to Tokyo like... last night.” Yusuke retorted, smugly.

“God- you know what I mean!” She rolled her eyes, before looking over at Yu, her expression brightening as she went in for a hug. The two of them embraced for a moment, as she giggled. “At least you’re here! I can’t wait to walk around the city with you! Maybe do a boat ride at Inokashira Park!”

“That’d be fun.” He replied, simply. “There’s also this aquarium I want to check out. There’s a fishing pond too...”

“Ooh! Maybe we should just dedicate an entire day to water-based activities! And then the next day we can go to the Skytree and the planetarium! 

“You know, it’s rude to talk about romance stuff in front of a third party.” Yosuke suddenly butted in, folding his arms.

“Get a girlfriend then, ‘senpai’.” Rise snapped back. “Or a boyfriend. You could have had Yu. I remember talking with Chie a while ago, and she said that Yu was dropping like… a billion hints that he liked you and you just never took them.”

Yosuke blinked. “Wait- for real?”

Yu shrugged, continuing to walk forward. Rise clung onto his arm, as Yosuke stood frozen for a couple of seconds, before jogging to catch up. 

The three of them approached the Kirijo building before Rise suddenly slowed down. “Wait…” She stared upwards, eyes narrowing slightly. “...I’m getting a bad feeling. Does something seem off to you guys?”

Yosuke stared at the building, before shaking his head. “Not to me. What about you, partner?”

Yu shook his head. 

“Well, the man has spoken. Or.. uh, ‘gestured’. Maybe you’re just getting cold feet, Rise. It has been a while since we’ve gotten called for any sort of ‘Persona-related’ activity. I’m a bit on edge too.”

Rise pouted, before sighing. “...You might be right. Let’s go, then.”

The three of them walked inside, before seeing a few more friendly faces. A girl in a green jumpsuit, bouncing on her heels. “Yosuke, is that you? It’s been forever!”

“Chie! ...Why are you acting like that, I literally saw you last week.” Yosuke quipped, before getting caught up in a hug, which quickly turned into a suplex, before she twisted Yosuke to the ground, pinning him down.

“I was trying to make it an emotional moment! Idiot!” She screamed as Yosuke slammed his hands against the ground, trying every version of ‘I surrender’ possible.

A dark-haired woman in a red dress chuckled. “But Chie…what’s the point of making it a moment when you see each other all the time?” She snorted, before covering her mouth, trying to suppress her giggles. “I’m sor-- I’m sorry! I just--!! It do-doesn't make sense!”

Chie rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing even funny about the situation!” She yelled, climbing off of Yosuke. Yukiko giggled, as Chie ran over and hugged her. “Still, I’m glad you’re here! How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Yukiko replied airily. “The inn gets pretty busy during the summer, but I haven’t been too stressed out. What about you? You’ve been all over the place. Sumaru, now Tokyo? You just kind of up and left Inaba...”

Chie laughed sheepishly. “Aw, sheesh Yukiko! It’s not like I’m a nomad and never comin’ home or somethin’. I’m just… uh, exploring a lot this summer!”

Two more footsteps entered the building. A tall, muscular man with dark hair and piercings, and a shorter woman with a blue cap, with blue hair reaching past her neck.

The tall man- Kanji- chuckled. “Told ya, Naoto. We just follow the laughin’ and it’ll take us to everyone else.”

Naoto smiled, shaking her head. “You were correct. I assumed that they would at least wait until everyone arrived until the antics started. I owe you 100 yen.”

Yu smiled, waving them over. “Nice. It’s good to see you all too.” The two of them stepped over, as the reformed Investigation Team exchanged greetings and hugs. “Well, that’s almost everyone, we’re just missing...”

“YOSUKE!” A voice screeched, as even the employees in the lobby floor of the Kirijo Building practically snapped their necks along with the Investigation Team to look at the figure bursting through the door.

A bear-costumed person stumbled inside, before tripping and rolling over to the team. “You almost forgot about me at the station! It’s almost as if you left me bear-hind…”

Yosuke chuckled nervously. “No way, Ted…! Ahah! Isn’t that right, Yu?”

“I just didn’t see you.” The grey-haired man replied, before Teddie bounced up to his feet, and waddled towards Yu, giving him a large bear-hug. “Senseeeeei!!! You’ve grown so much! I’ve missed you! My life has been bear-ren with just the normal Inaba shmucks! Bear-sides, you’re even more handsome than before!” Teddie nudged him slightly, before loudly stage-whispering. “You know, Sensei-- if you ever get tired of dating an idol, Teddie is still single and ready to mingle! And this is just between you and me, but ever since Yuki-chan’s palace, I always knew you were _my Prince Charmi_ \--”

“Back off, Teddie!” Rise cried, shoving the bear costume over. “Jeez! Don’t any of you have a sense of personal space? And why don’t you stop them, Yu?”

Yu shrugged.

Teddie huffed, standing up. “That aside, look at you all! You all look so mature! I mean, Chie-chan looks about the same, and Yuki-chan and Rise-chan are as lovely as ever, and even Kanji doesn’t look like a creep!”

Kanji’s eyes narrowed. “...Nice to see you too, Teddie.”

“...And look, Nao-chan has finally decided to stop binding! Now she looks like the lovely lady we all knew she was deep down!” Teddie giggled before the detective glared at him.

“I can draw my gun much faster than you can run.” She said, dryly.

Teddie’s costumed eyes widened, waddling backward a bit. “Noted! Sorry, sorry! Anyways, what’s all the hubbub? We were invited here? For what, a party? I’ve been working on my dance moves!” He dropped to the floor, doing a very… Teddie-esque version of a breakdancing routine. 

Rise shook her head. “No, apparently this is serious business. Oh, speaking of…” She trailed off, as Aigis approached them all.

“I am very glad you could make it. Please come with me, I’ll debrief you on the current situation.” She looked over at Naoto, the two of them locking eyes for a moment before Naoto shrugged.

Naoto shook her head. “No need, Aigis. From the messages we’ve received, I have a fairly good idea. You’ve attempted to make contact with the Phantom Thieves. In doing so, you’ve accidentally found a way to anger them, and have now called us as a line of defense in the case of their inevitable assault.”

Aigis looked at Naoto blankly for a moment, before nodding with a small smile. “...So, I will not need to debrief you on the situation.”

Teddie scratched his head. “So, the Phantom Thieves, huh? Aren’t those guys a bunch of wackos that change people’s hearts and minds? It is a bit un-bear-able though! Teddie already steals hearts! I don’t need competition!”

“They’re not wackos!” Chie snapped. The group stared at her. “I-I just think we need to be a bit more understanding? Ehehe…”

Yukiko nodded. “Chie is correct. Judging them without knowing them would be a bit irresponsible on our part. We should at least talk with them first, correct?”

Yosuke snapped his fingers. “Oh, right! You just acting like a total weirdo right then reminded me of what I wanted to ask, Chie. You said something a couple of days ago in the group chat about ‘training your Persona’ or something? What’s the deal with that?”

Teddie raised his hand as he got off the floor again. “Oh, oh! I’m glad I’m not the only one! Chie-chan’s got a totally different vibe about her! I’m smelling tons of power that wasn’t there before!”

Chie blanched. “Wh-what are you talking about, guys? I’m the same as n-normal! C’mon Teddie, maybe your nose isn’t working like usual.” She walked over to Teddie, before smacking him on the back, sending the poor bear fumbling to the ground once more.

“Ow-ow-ow, Chie-chan! But… maybe it is. Ever since I got here, my nose has been smelling a really, really, really bad smell. Like foreboding doom and agony. Is anyone else smelling something like that?”

Yu glanced around the group. Naoto and Aigis shared another brief look, Chie folded her arms and looked towards the ground, and Rise seemed… a bit concerned. He walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her. “Are you alright? Is that similar to that bad feeling you got before coming in here?”

“I’m fine and ...it seems like it, but I don’t want to come to any conclusions yet.” The idol replied quietly.

Yosuke cleared his throat. “We’re losing the thread here, I’m trying to figure out what Chie’s whole deal is! She’s acting weird!”

“I’m not!” Chie yelled.

Yukiko walked over to Chie, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, Chie. You can tell us, right? We need to be able to rely on each other.”

Chie’s face turned bright red before she backed away from Yukiko and approached Aigis. “You had something important to show us? Please have something important to show us! C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!”

Aigis nodded. “Let’s move on then. I’ll take you to their leader.” She turned around, walking away from the group, which quickly began trailing behind her.

Yosuke wandered next to Yu as the group started to move, folding his arms. “So, we’re definitely gonna ask her later, right? I mean, it’s obvious something weird is going on. Maybe we can have Yukiko do the asking. Chie is like… allergic to even attempting to lie to her.”

“We’ll handle that later. Let’s follow Aigis for now.” Yu replied casually, before heading off after the rest of the group. 

A few moments and a somewhat awkward elevator ride later, the group was in what Yu assumed was the basement. There was a … noticeable crater in the middle of the hallway that the group had to maneuver through. 

“What happened here?” Chie asked, somewhat concerned.

Aigis shook her head. “Please do not worry about it.” She led them into a room with a large glass window. There sat the ‘leader of the Phantom Thieves’, tied down and worn down. Chie grimaced. 

Yosuke stared at the kid behind the glass. “That’s the leader? He literally worked part-time at Junes. The worst thing he did was arrange the soup cans in the shape of a cat once.”

Yukiko nodded. “The Amamiya Family, correct? They always seemed a bit high-strung. Perhaps this was his way of rebelling..”

Aigis tilted her head slightly. “You all seem overwhelmingly familiar with Amamiya Ren.”

“It’s Inaba.” Yosuke chuckled. “I’d be more concerned if we didn’t know him.”

Naoto rubbed her chin. “I looked into his case. Apparently, he was falsely accused of assault and sent to Tokyo on probation.”

Yu looked over at her. “Did you look into the Phantom Thieves as well?” She shook her head.

“A bit on my own, but not officially, the new ‘Detective Prince’ was doing it for me.” She said, poorly hiding the slight disgust in her voice. Kanji shrugged. “She’s been bitter about it for a while.” He said.

“I’m not bitter! I’m just… irked at the fact that he used his title as ‘Detective Prince’ to commit his own string of personal crimes. He stained a title that was supposed to be honorable, and instead, he was just a puppet for a larger, more malevolent corporation.” She stared downwards, exhaling softly. “...I wish I had a chance to speak with him. Part of me wants to believe he was just being manipulated and had no real malevolent intent, but ever since his disappearance…”

Kanji rubbed Naoto’s back, sighing. “There, there. C’mon, deep breaths.”

“My apologies… I just have a lot of opinions about Akechi-san.”

Yukiko leaned against the glass, tapping on it. “He looks so tired... Is he alright?”

“He is fine,” Aigis said. “But we need to figure out a plan of action. Akihiko has already set up a conference room for us. Follow.”

Yu stared at Amamiya Ren for a moment, a weird sense of familiarity creeping in. He hadn’t met this kid before, but still- there was something there. A connection, maybe? His train of thought began to fade as his vision began to blur, and he suddenly felt himself losing consciousness.

* * *

Ren didn't like being alone with his thoughts. They scared him, made him feel alone. He heard a faint tapping on the other side of the one-way glass that connected the room that held him to the people observing him from the other side. He felt too weak to even attempt to use his Third Eye to check though. His eyelids felt heavy, as he yawned, before finding himself slumping forwards into sleep. 

Moments later, he found himself in the same, haunting prison cell. The haunting music of the Velvet Room calming him slightly. The door was locked once again, and the ball and chain reattached to his leg. His clothes had changed into the ragged prisoners uniform that had plagued him for the year prior. Igor hummed to himself. 

"What an interesting development… you find yourself enslaved by fate once again. You had control on yourself once, and now…" The old man flipped a few cards on his table. His grin remained, but the look in his eyes was enough for Ren to know that fate wasn't exactly on his side... 

"My Trickster, I've failed you," Lavenza whispered, sounding as if she was on the verge of tears. "It was foolish of me to give you such power without your preparation or consent. And now, your fate is even more sealed than before." 

That was morbid. Igor was cryptic, and Lavenza could be dramatic, but this was legitimately worrying. He looked around the Velvet Room again, before another form stepped inside. A woman, dressed in blue with long white hair. While Lavenza had an air of childlike cuteness, this one seemed to have a mature beauty and air of pure dignity about her. "You're right, you were foolish to do so, and ended up putting your guest in greater danger than before." 

"I'm so sorry, Margaret…" The shorted attendant whispered, before another- louder woman strolled into view. 

"You needn't be so hard on her, dear sister. As they say, 'those who can't walk, crawl, and those who can't crawl, scream'. As he has not been screaming, I say he still has the desire to at least crawl." Another woman, in similar blue clothing, white hair, and golden eyes with a bob-style cut. She looked at Ren, bowing with a smile. "I am Elizabeth. It's an honor to meet the 'smoking hot bad boy' our younger sister spoke of." 

Lavenza turned bright red, covering her face with a book. Her shame had, well, seemed to have changed into an entirely different type of shame. "I never called you that, Trickster! I promise!" 

Ren raised an eyebrow. "These are your sisters?" 

"Yes," the mature one replied. "I am Margaret. We have all been called to the Velvet Room due to a sudden change in circumstances." 

"You have a very depressing Velvet Room." ‘Elizabeth’ chimed in, "Although I assume it changes based on the guest present. Although, I heard Belladonna was here. I haven't seen her in eons! The painter either!" 

"Tokyo was the epicenter of Yaldabaoth's attack, and will soon be the epicenter of something much worse if you do not act." He paused, as the layout of the Velvet Room began to shift, expanding into a room more reminiscent of a living room, although the cells still adorned the walls. A grand piano with a player and an opera singer appeared near the center. Another voice spoke from the cells. 

"You called, Igor? I mean, I didn’t expect the prisoner treatment…” She banged on the bars. Finally, a familiar voice. He gripped the bars, straining his neck to try and get a view of the cell that appeared, but it seemed as if it was positioned in a way where he couldn’t see the other occupant, no matter how hard he tried. 

Ren nodded. "Maya-san? Is that you?” 

He heard Maya gasp. “Ren! Are you okay, you’re not hurt are you?” 

“I’m fine, a bit shaken up. I heard that the others are going to try and rescue me, but…” He turned to look at Igor, eyes wide. “Why is she in a cell too?” 

"None are immune to fate, Mr. Amamiya. As these chains are a mark of your lack of rebellion, they become the same mark to the others visiting this room." Igor explained. "Now, we have two more guests arriving." 

Another voice spoke up, unfamiliar to both of them, as the layout of the Velvet Room changed once again, more resembling a strange mix between a party bus and a prison bus. Another person spoke up. Nobody Ren knew, but his voice was calming. “I’m back in the Velvet Room? Why does it…” 

“Ah, Mr. Narukami. Welcome back.” 

A fourth voice spoke up. “Ah. The Velvet Room. Greetings, Igor.” 

Ren grimaced. That was the blonde girl that destroyed him with the Almighty skill. What was she doing here? 

“If I may ask,” She continued. “Why am I contained?” 

“Mister Amamiya, of course!” Elizabeth cheerfully added. 

He could practically see the disappointment on her face. “Ah. So this is the heart of the Phantom Thieves’ leader. I see...” 

Ren looked around. There were four voices, but he managed to see two more empty cells. “...Are we waiting on anybody else? It doesn’t seem like everyone is here yet.” 

Margaret shook her head. “It seems as if their fates haven’t aligned with yours yet. Although it seems as if those cells will only fill if the ruinous fate comes to pass, so consider yourselves lucky for now.” 

Igor cleared his throat. “My duty here is not to clear up any misunderstandings but to warn you all of the upcoming danger. Many of you serve as ‘Wild Cards’, unpredictable beings that take the powers of Persona and stretch them to new heights. You will need to work together or perish together. My master-” 

“Wait-” ‘Narukami’ commented. “You have a master? I thought you were the Master of the Velvet Room?” 

“You are correct, Mr. Narukami. I am the Master of the Velvet Room, but there is one above me that is the master of Personas themselves.” Igor chuckled. “Now, listen carefully-” 

The Velvet Room shook violently before the ‘lights’ around it dimmed. 

“Oh, dear…” Margaret mumbled. Lavenza frowned. 

“This isn’t allowed, right? The Velvet Room is untouchable?” The younger attendant said, worried. 

Elizabeth chuckled. “Well, apparently not. Oh, I wonder what will happen next!” 

The Velvet Room shook once more before darkness began filling in, oozing from the bottom like a ship taking on water. Ren gasped. “Igor, what’s going on?” 

The old man sitting in the middle of the room was at a loss for words at the moment. “You all are in grave danger… I am sorry, but do not forget this conversation! When you all converge, remember each other's voices and souls, if not, you will face ruin!” 

The darkness rose higher. 

“Well, it seems like that is your signal to leave. It was a pleasure meeting the rest of you.” Margaret commented, opening up her book. 

“Do not mourn us!” Elizabeth wailed, “For we won’t actually die, as soon as you leave the room, things should return to normal.” 

“Stay safe, my Trickster!” Lavenza cried before he found himself back in the interrogation room, gasping for air. 

His head was pounding. He racked his brain trying to remember why but it was just… dark. “...It was probably nothing. I guess I just dozed off…” He mumbled. 

* * *

“Yu!” 

“Sensei!” 

“Partner!” 

Yu’s eyes slowly opened up as his friends stood around him and Aigis, concerned on all of their faces. He slowly sat up, shaking his head. He had a… dream? It was foggy though. Dark. He shook his head, stumbling up to his feet, as Naoto helped Aigis up. 

Yosuke stared at him, wiping his brow. “You and Aigis scared the hell out of us! What happened?” 

“...I don’t know.” He looked over at Aigis, who had a similarly confused expression on her face. She looked over at Yu, opening her mouth as if wanting to say something, before suddenly shaking her head. 

“...Let us continue.” She said simply, before heading out the room. The rest of the group exchanged concerned glances, before Yosuke sighed, shrugging. 

“You know, I’m not a huge fan of being carted around like this…” Yosuke muttered. 

* * *

The Investigation Team stood in the middle of a small showroom, totally barren except for a small covered table in the center. 

“Uh-oh,” Naoto muttered, glancing at her phone. 

Kanji perked up, looking over at her. “What’s up?” 

“Well, I had always assumed that new mysterious stone structure had something to do with the Phantom Thieves, but look at this.” She held up her phone. “These were images taken moments ago at Inokashira Park.” 

Yosuke snatched the phone from her, staring at it. “Oh, jeez. That looks… bad. The hell happened there?” 

Yukiko frowned, glancing over Yosuke’s shoulder. “Look at the caption. ‘Masked Strangers Bomb Park?’ And the comments are going nuts too! People are either really scared or really excited. Some are even saying that this was the working of the Phantom Thieves… I guess they did wear masks, didn’t they?” 

“People are talkin’ about flashing lights and weird ethereal demons. It seems kinda hard to find a legit eyewitness account…” Kanji added, leaning over Yosuke’s other shoulder. 

Chie snatched the phone from Yosuke, looking at the pictures. “Huh? There’s no way they did this!” 

“How do you know for sure, Chie-chan??” Teddie asked, waddling over. She shoved him backward. 

“It’s just a guess, idiot!" 

Yu gestured for the phone to be handed over to him, before staring at the pictures. “So, they may be capable of that kind of power... That might be a bit of an issue if we need to fight. Can you keep us updated, Naoto?” 

The detective nodded. “Of course. I’ve been keeping a close eye for anything relating to the Phantom Thieves in the first place, and I’ve been doing plenty of research. When we get some actual free time, I’ll try and fill you all in.” 

“I’m sorry, but you won’t have much free time.” A voice called from the back of the room. The Investigation Team turned to look, with Teddie gasping dramatically. 

“Mit-chan! It’s been so long, and you’re looking as stunning as ever!” 

“No time for platitudes. I have something very important to show you all.” Mitsuru commented as the other three Shadow Operatives followed behind. “As you know, we’ve come into contact with the Phantom Thieves.” 

“We’re aware,” Naoto said. “They’ve allegedly expressed a grandstanding of power at Yoyogi Park. Do you think it’s a warning sign?” 

Mitsuru rubbed her chin. “Perhaps they’re doubling down on their threat.” She glanced back at Yukari, who put her hands on her hips. “...I’m just saying. It’s hard to think of a reasonable explanation for why they’d make a scene like that.” 

A voice called from the back, bursting in. “Sorry I’m late!” Iori Junpei sprinted to catch up with the group, grinning. “I got your call, Yuka-tan. Apparently, this is ‘Big S.O Business’?” 

Yukari smiled, the two of them hugging briefly. “I’m glad that you could come.” 

Mitsuru nodded. “Thank you for deciding to show up, Iori. Now, if I can get back to what I was saying--” 

“Sorry, sorry, my bad, is this some important reveal?” 

Mitsuru rubbed her temples. “Yes, Iori. Now, please don’t interrupt me again.” She strutted to the table in the center of the room, Aigis following close behind. “Narukami-san mentioned needing to fight. This is my solution to the issue of the Phantom Thieves being allegedly strong enough to create massive explosions. We’ve been establishing more potent Evoker technology. Aigis?” 

Aigis stepped up, folding her arms behind her back. “We have decided that simply pointing a gun at one's head could become inefficient in more intense Persona battles. If the Evoker was to be dropped, it would leave the self helpless. So, we simply modified the technology.” She pulled the cloth from over the table, revealing several sets of headphones. 

“In memory of our Leader, we have created these. They’re functionally similar to Evokers, in the case that they can summon Personas, but they’re much more socially innocuous, and they’re much harder to lose track of. Instead of a gunshot, they send an electric signal straight to the amygdala, forcing it to activate, and triggering the same fear response that the Evokers use, therefore allowing you to summon your Persona.” 

Teddie bounded forwards. “Ooh, lemme try! I wanna try!” He popped off the bear head of his costume, shaking out his blond hair. “I’ve always wanted to be a model~! Shall I take my shirt off?” 

Aigis shoved a pair of headphones into his hands. “Put them on. They’re voice-activated, so all you need to say is ‘Persona’.” 

Teddie popped them on before giving his team a thumbs-up. “Okay! I hope I can ‘bear’ it! Wish my luck, team!” 

Yu returned the thumbs-up. “We’ll mourn you, Teddie.” 

“Gah! Sensei, don’t say things like that! I’m just summoning my Person-AAAAAAH!" Teddie gripped his head, shaking violently before tripping backward in his suit as a flash of light emanating from him as the rainbow, blimp-like form Kamui-Moshiri appeared over Teddie. 

Aigis frowned, worry flashing across her face. “Perhaps we need to lower the shock threshold, Kirijo-san…?” 

Mitsuru shook her head. “That’s the only threshold that will guarantee summoning. Leave it as is. You’ll either adapt or in this case, only need to summon it once.” 

Teddie hopped up, practically foaming at the mouth, snarling. His eyes seemed to flicker from blue to gold. Yu stood up, starting to reach out a hand towards him. 

Yosuke blinked. “Teddie, you okay?” 

Teddie opened his mouth to speak before Mitsuru casually slapped him across the face. Teddie blinked, seemingly returning to normal. “Woah, what an un-bear-lievable feeling! And look! There’s my Per- my ability!” He slowly took off the headphones, chuckling. “Well, they work!” 

Akihiko chuckled. “Nice work. All the pairs look the same, so just grab one and get acquainted with them for a moment. I’d say this little session is adjourned, yeah?” 

Mitsuru nodded. “Yes. We need to be prepared, so just make sure you know how to use them effectively. I expect great things from you. If you need to contact me, I’ll be in my office.” And with that, she left the room. Aigis made her leave as well, and the rest of the Investigation Team split apart into small groups. 

Naoto flagged over Chie, Junpei, and Yukari. 

“I got your message.” The detective said. “You wanted me to look into Mitsuru?” Naoto glanced at Yukari. She nodded. “Good. I’ve already gotten some reason to investigate her anyways.” 

“What’s got you so spooked, Yuka-tan?” Junpei asked. 

Yukari sighed, looking around. “Mitsuru’s been weird… I want to just think she’s nervous or something, but I still think there’s more. The others have faith in her, and I want to as well, but… I don’t know, can you just check up on her? Without her knowing? I knew I could trust Junpei to keep this under wraps as well.” 

Junpei gasped, dramatically. “Woah… that’s really nice.” 

She shrugged. “We’re friends, after all.” 

Chie chuckled nervously. “Um, why did you call me over here, Naoto? This doesn’t seem like my business…” 

The detective raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’re obviously hiding something regarding the Phantom Thieves, and I wanted to ask you what it was.” 

Chie’s eyes widened. “What? No. Nononono. Phantom Thieves, who are they? Oh, you mean those guys? Never seen ‘em- I mean heard of them- I mean-” 

Naoto frowned. “If you know something about them, just tell me. Any information about the Thieves could be useful.” 

Chie sighed, shaking her head. “Just forget about it, Naoto. I’m not hiding anything, I… I just think we should be more careful and not try and fight? They’re good people- at least, that’s what I’ve heard.” She turned around, walking off. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Naoto. I need to go and train with these headphones!” She picked up her pace to a jog, heading out. 

Yukari looked over at Naoto. “...You’re going to follow her, right?” 

“Absolutely.” 

* * *

Following Chie was easy enough. Especially since she had a pretty good hunch about where her friend was headed. She watched as Chie wandered into LeBlanc, before approaching the window, getting close enough to try to listen in on the conversation. 

“Sorry about barging in, Lisa-sensei, but look!” She heard Chie say. 

A male voice. Older. “Headphones?” 

“Custom headphones.” Corrected a younger voice. A girl. Young. Either in her early years of high school or just out of junior high. 

“No, no! This is brand new Persona summoning technology!” Chie shouted. “Pop these on, yell ‘Persona’ and then boom! There it is!” 

...So, there was certainly some form of subterfuge going on with Chie. That was… illuminating. Naoto 

Another girl sighed. She sounded like an older teenager. "So Kirijo is hiring a group of Persona-users for protection. Great." 

"Perhaps we can out-bid her?" A third girl suggested. That was telling. Someone with enough financial worth to consider simply paying the other group off, instead of thinking of a solution to fight back. And Naoto swore that voice was familiar. Perhaps she had heard it on television? Maybe... 

“...Okumura?” Naoto murmured under her breath. 

Chie continued talking. "It's less 'hiring' and more of a favor. And besides, my team is just backup. Mitsuru has a Persona of her own." 

Another voice. A young man. Again, still sounding about high school-aged. “That aside though, are those headphones for real? That makes our job easier! Can you grab us all some?” 

Naoto heard Chie sigh. “...Sorry, there was only enough for my team. Although, I brought it here because you do techy stuff, right Futaba? Can you like, reverse engineer this?” 

The girl who had corrected someone about the headphones earlier- ‘Futaba’- spoke up.. “Maybe? I’m more of a hacker, but if I can find out what makes them tick, then I might be able to modify an already existing pair of headphones to do something similar. Give me a day or two.” 

“Won’t people notice that you’re missing yours?” Another teenager- how many ‘Phantom Thieves’ were there? Still, this one sounded like another teenage girl. Her voice carried a sense of authority. Perhaps a surrogate leader, since their original leader was contained. 

Chie chuckled. “I’ll just say I dropped mine in a lake while running or something? Anyways, don’t worry about me. Just focus on saving your leader! Now, I gotta get back to my team.” 

This seemed like a suitable time for Naoto to enter. She swung the door open, casually sitting at the counter as the cafe went dead silent. The owner stared her down, as Naoto locked eyes with him. She smiled politely. 

“Sorry, I heard commotion, so I assumed the cafe was open, despite the signage saying otherwise. It is fairly common for some small-business owners to forget to flip the sign.” She said, casually. The owner of the cafe huffed, shaking his head. 

“Sorry, but we are closed at the moment. You’re welcome to come back later if you’d like.” He replied, gruffly. 

She turned around, staring down who she had deduced were the Phantom Thieves. “Ah. I see. There’s a meeting going on.” Her eyes trailed over to Chie, who was slowly trying to shuffle her way up into the attic. “Ah, Chie. Well, this is rather illuminating. Do you want to talk in here, or outside?” 

Chie sighed, rubbing her arm. “...Outside.” 

“Good. I’d rather keep this between us as well.” Naoto hopped off the stool, tipping her hat to the owner. “I’d like to try your coffee later, sir.” 

He rolled his eyes, as she and Chie exited the cafe. Naoto got straight to the point. 

“Why are you working with the Phantom Thieves?” 

“You can’t prove I am!” 

“But you are, aren’t you? I mean, it’s incredibly obvious, but I want to hear you say it.” 

Chie groaned, folding her arms. “Okay- okay! I am a little bit. But they’re good kids!” 

“I don’t truly doubt that,” Naoto said, calmly. “But why did you choose to approach them in the first place? Does it have anything to do with the police exam?” 

Chie’s eyes narrowed. “Why’re you bringing that up? I-- jeez, you’re so nosy, Naoto!” 

“We were going to find out eventually. But… still, I would like an explanation.” 

“I dunno!” Chie whined. “I thought it was cool! I mean, everyone else had these big plans for their lives and the summer and whatever, and I’ve just been goofin’ around the whole time. I just wanted to do something special or interesting for once, and…” She shook her head, turning away from Naoto slightly. “...I dunno, I only ever felt really useful back when we were fightin’ shadows in the T.V world. It was the thing that made all my martial arts dreams and goals worth it, ya know? And this just… felt like a way to feel useful again. Training my Persona, helping a new generation of Persona-users get better, that kinda stuff.” 

Naoto glanced away for a moment, before resting a hand on Chie’s shoulder. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I actually hadn't considered that. And, well, if it’s any worth, you’re useful to all of us. I don’t think we’d be the people we are today without you.” 

“...Thanks, Naoto.” Chie mumbled. 

Naoto glanced over to the window of LeBlanc, where several pairs of eyes were staring at her through the blinds. She chuckled. "Fine then. Let's talk with the Thieves then." Chie sighed, before opening the door for the two of them to enter LeBlanc. 

She managed to catch a couple of hushed whispers before the cafe had gone silent. 

'Was that Shirogane Naoto?' 

'We are so effin’ screwed!' 

'Satonaka-san knows her?' 

Naoto adjusted her hat, before folding her arms. "So, I hear you all are the Phantom Thieves?" 

One of them spoke up. A natural blonde, although there were still some stains of color in her hair, with the absolute worst poker face imaginable. "Who? Us? No~oo. We'd never do anything illegal like that? Never." 

Another blond teenager snorted. "Nice one, Ann. I'm sure the Detective Prince will fall for that." 

"She might have if you didn't say anything, Ryuji!" 

Naoto frowned. "I would not have. Now, I am Shirogane Naoto, part of the team that was sent to assist Kirijo Mitsuru. Which currently means we're standing at conflicting ideals. What's stopping me from heading back to the Kirijo building and revealing your identities to my current team?" 

They all seemed at a loss. Perhaps she had been too direct. She scanned the faces, recognizing them all as various witnesses and even victims in the Phantom Thief case. She hadn't formally investigated them- her 'successor' was in charge of that- but that didn't mean she wasn't allowed access to the case files. Takamaki Ann and Sakamoto Ryuji, both closely tied in the Kobayakawa and Kamoshida cases. Kitagawa Yusuke, the pupil of Madarame. Niijima Makoto, the younger sister of prosecutor Niijima Sae. Sakura Futaba, connected to Sakura Sojiro, who was the caretaker of Amamiya Ren. And... "Okumura? What would the Okumura heir be doing with the Phantom Thieves?" She mumbled to herself. 

Haru giggled nervously. "Well, you see, I had enlisted the help of the Phantom Thieves to change my fathers heart." She said. It was a fairly airtight alibi. Okumura didn't seem like the type to steal anything and didn't seem to match the flamboyant, theatrical style of the Phantom Thieves. However, her proximity to the rest of the Thieves clearly meant she was more than just someone who enlisted their help. She was involved. But did that mean she was directly responsible for her father's murder? It wouldn't be too uncommon, the wealthy heir suddenly finding their way into more money and power, and being able to successfully throw off the authorities with some yen and some well-timed tears. Sure, Amamiya's confession had resulted in him vehemently denying that he and his team had any sort of influence in Okumura's death but... 

"...Earth to Naoto? Come in, Naoto." 

A hand waved in front of her face, she blinked. Chie chuckled. "That's the 'Detective Prince' for you. You were staring at Haru for like, a straight minute." 

"Did I do something wrong?" The girl asked. 

"...Did you?" The detective responded, vaguely. "Anyways, where was I?" 

Sakamoto leaned forwards. "You wanted us to state our case about why you shouldn't rat us out, and then you went all robotic on Haru." 

Kitagawa frowned. "We had worked with another Detective Prince before, it seems like we have bad luck with that." 

Another 'Detective Prince'? Did that mean Akechi Goro? Was Akechi affiliated with the Phantom Thieves? That would explain his constantly shifting, flimsy position on the matter. He was probably vehemently opposed to them until they had invited him into their ranks, in which he would need to severely backpedal as to not get himself in any issue with his new teammates or the authorities. He was potentially sabotaging one of the biggest cases of the year simply to avoid detection and blame towards himself and his new affiliates and-- 

She jumped as Chie snapped her fingers next to her ear. "Nao-to! You're doin' it again!" 

The blue-haired woman rubbed her temples. "Sorry, just processing the information I was given. You worked with Akechi?" 

"Ugh. 'Worked with' is generous." Futaba mumbled, not lifting her eyes from her computer. "The guy tried to string us along and rat us out, and then frame us for all of the bad mental shutdowns that occurred." 

Niijima scowled. "He... did give his life for us, though. As bad as he was, we simply can't forget that." 

Naoto's eyes widened. So, Akechi really was dead? He had been considered a 'missing person' for the longest time, nobody was able to find a body, but here was a genuine confession from the Phantom Thieves about him being dead. "...I see." 

"Anyways!" Ryuji yelled. "We're just tryin' to save our leader! You guys were the ones that took him in the first place!" 

Naoto folded her arms. "Amamiya Ren, correct?" 

Chie nodded. "Yeah. Weird kid. Yukiko and I used to babysit him when we were in middle school for some extra pocket change, so we'd be able to afford beef bowls at the end of the day. I never would have thought he'd get into anything like this, but hey- we've done some pretty crazy stuff too." 

"Phantom Thieves." Naoto began. "Is Amamiya Ren your leader, or your friend?" 

They stared for a moment. A cat in the corner of the room meowed something. "It's probably a pretty important question considering the Detective Prince asked it, Morgana!" Makoto hissed at it. Naoto stared for a moment. She would ask about... that, later. 

Ryuji raised his hand. "Uh, both? He was probably the only guy who actually stood up for me in the first few months of school this year until I met these guys." 

Ann nodded. "He helped me with Kamoshida, even when I tried to push him away. After that, he even tried to help me with my confidence when modeling." 

"I was in a dark place with Madarame," Yusuke added. "Ren and the Thieves helped me find my way to the light, and allowed me to finally stop blinding myself with ignorance." 

Makoto smiled. "Same here. He helped me realize I was more than just some academic robot. With him around, I feel like I can do anything and everything I want." 

Futaba rolled her eyes, sliding lower into her booth seat. "This is so corny, but... jeez, Ren's like a brother to me, I guess, whatever. He's cool and is really good at Super Bash Brothers for some reason." 

Haru smiled. "The Thieves are an important part of our lives, Shirogane-san. They were there for me when I lost my father, and there for me when I struggled to find my worth in the business world. I simply want to give him the same kindness he showed me." 

Naoto chuckled. "That sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it, Chie?" 

"Heh. Yeah." Chie nodded. "So, what's your decision, Naoto?" 

"...I'm sympathetic to your cause. I'd like an explanation of your methods, but I can feel that your hearts are in the right place. That, and if Takamaki-san really was lying, I'd be able to tell." 

Ann flushed, covering her face with her hands. "...Am I really that bad?" The group replied with a few mumbled affirmatives. 

"I have one condition. I tell the other members of our team about this. We can't keep secrets like this from each other, Chie. We're a team. We won't go to the Shadow Operatives about this, but our little 'Inaba Circle'? They need to know. They have the right to know." 

Chie nodded. "I'm sorry. I really should have come clean about this earlier. Let's go back and find the others. We can talk over dinner!" 

Naoto rolled her eyes, before sighing. "Of course you'd suggest that. We're splitting the cost equally this time, though. I had to pay the last time we ate, and your orders were considerably more than half to the overall price." 

Chie chuckled sheepishly. "Well, I had a busy day! I was hungry!" 

Naoto sighed. "Well, that aside, I wonder what the others are doing at the moment. Did you have plans tonight? Perhaps we could gather for dinner?” 

Chie shrugged, opening the door. "Sounds good to me!” She turned, giving a sheepish wave to the Phantom Thieves. “We won’t mention your real identities, promise!” 

“I give you my word,” Naoto said confidently. She turned to Chie, nodding. 

“Now then. Let’s go. I’m sure they’ll all be understanding of our predicament."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long one, but it's the Inaba Gang, so it's worth it.


	19. Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Investigation Team starts to work some things out. Maya faces herself. Junpei checks up on Mitsuru.

"You and Chie are doing what?!" Yosuke yelled before Chie clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Not so loud, idiot! Or else the whole restaurant is going to be eavesdropping! Me and Naoto have just made some... new acquaintances." She explained as the rest of the Investigation Team sat intently around the table, eyes intently focused on Chie.

"I mean, this is sort of bad, yeah? We can't team up with Kirijo and the Thieves, and we knew Kirijo-san longer." Rise reasoned, rattling her chopsticks against the table.

Kanji shook his head. "I dunno, if Naoto thinks it's a good idea, then maybe we should help?"

Teddie huffed, finally out of his costume. "You're just saying that because you're with Nao-chan! So I'm going to agree with Rise-chan!" He scooted closer to her. She shot him a look, scooting closer to Yu.

"You agreeing with me isn't going to make us a couple!"

Yukiko sighed. "This is hard. If they really are good people, then we should all team-up. Us, them, and the Shadow Operatives, right? We can all fight for the same things."

Yosuke shook his head. "No way, I think Mitsuru super hates those guys after she got that calling card. I mean, I'm sure those kids are nice and all, but I really don't want to deal with a pissed-off Mitsuru. Like, I heard that she ‘executes’ people. Do you really want to be on the other side of that?"

Naoto sighed. "It would be ideal for us to all work together, but that doesn't seem like an option. So, we need to formulate a plan that allows the Phantom Thieves to retrieve their leader and escape, without alerting the Shadow Operatives of our shift in allegiance."

Yu nodded. "I'm with Naoto. If she can tell that they're genuine, then they probably are, right? We can work out some sort of neutral solution."

"Besides, they're not even planning to hurt Mitsuru! The calling card was just a retaliation message to keep them spooked, all they really care about is grabbing Ren and leaving, not waging war!" Chie explained, Rise shook her head.

"I really don’t want to risk it. I've seen the news, the Phantom Thieves are kind of nuts. And besides, if they’re the ones that caused that explosion, it's not like we're talking about harmless little kids, right?"

Chie rolled her eyes. “They didn’t do that! Or, if they did, it wasn’t on purpose! They’re still working on summoning their Personas!”

Yosuke narrowed his eyes. "Just like you, right? I can’t believe you went off to do something like that without even considering us! That’s really low, Chie. And especially you trying to hide this for so long."

Chie sat quietly for a moment, eyes downcast. “Listen, I…”

“Stop it, Yosuke,” Yukiko said, suddenly. “Nothing good is going to come of us pointing fingers at one another. I’m sure Chie is sorry, and we need to move on.”

"Guys, we saw Amamiya anyways. He wasn't trying to hurt any of us." Yu commented before Teddie clapped a hand over Yu's mouth.

"I'm sorry Sensei, but I'm going with the side with the most beautiful ladies! And that's Rise-chan, Mit-chan, Yuka-chan, Ai-chan, and Fuuka-chan... if she comes. Yuki-chan and Chie-chan are okay, but I'd take pretty city ladies over country girls any day!" Teddie announced before Chie attempted to reach over the table and grab him, Yukiko trying to hold her back.

"Say. That. Again. You. Little--"

"Chie! No! Teddie Violence isn't funny unless he's in his bear costume!" Yukiko pleaded.

Rise stood up. "We made our allegiance, right? We can't just betray that. I'm out. I'm acting Navigator for her anyways since Fuuka-san hasn’t been around.." She stood up and bowed, preparing to leave.

Naoto held up her hand. “Rise, wait. I think I have some information that might change your mind.”

Rise sighed, folding her arms. “...Fine, I’ll listen.”

“We have evidence to believe that the Kirijo we’re working with is a fake.” Naoto nodded as Rise slowly sat back down, her expression curious. The group leaned in closer, anxiously waiting for what the detective had to say next. Naoto smiled slightly, adjusting the brim of her cap.

“Well, don’t keep us in suspense, Nao-chan!” Teddie whispered, excitedly.

She nodded. “Recently, Aigis has been exhibiting strange behavior. Two days ago, I found her in an alleyway about to assassinate Ken-kun.” The group gasped. “I was able to stop her via some assistance with Ken-kun’s Evoker, and we took her to Yamagishi to be examined. We were able to set her back to normal, luckily, but we found extreme alterations within her code and a strange repeating message.” She pulled out a slip of paper, showing it to the group. Yosuke held out his hand, as Naoto handed it over. He looked at it, raising an eyebrow.

“...Uh, the hell is a ‘Nyaru’-whatever?” He asked, dubiously. Teddie snatched the paper from him, holding it up. “Wh- Ted! Chill out! It’s obviously not in anything you can read if Naoto hasn’t been able to crack it yet!”

Teddie squinted, holding the paper close. “Oh! It’s bad katakana! Nyar-la-tho-teeeeeep?” He giggled. “Teddie used to write like this too, back when he didn’t know Japanese super well!”

Chie scoffed. “Uh, you still write like that, Teddie.”

Naoto shushed her. “Hang on, his illiteracy may be what we need to decipher this. I was approaching it like someone familiar with Japanese and treating this as a new language. Teddie, on the other hand, may just be approaching it like he was reading one of his own poor showings at writing.”

“Uh, I don’t really get it, but if you seriously think Teddie’s gonna be helpful, we should give him a shot…” Kanji said, somewhat confused.

Teddie clapped. “Hooray! I’m useful to Nao-chan! Now, let’s see…? The rest isn’t in katakana, just the first part, so I think that first thing was a name!” He put the slip of paper on the table, the rest of the Investigation Team crowding around. “So we’ve got this ‘Nyarlathotep’ thingy and ‘Chaos’, right? I think it says something about it… uh… climbing from the dirt? Like a mountain climber? No… from the dirt, so... Oh! Zombies!”

“I seriously doubt it’s zombies.” Rise muttered.

“I’d be down to fight a zombie king though,” Yu added, rubbing his chin. “But that doesn’t seem right. At least go through it one more time.” He placed a reassuring hand on Teddie’s shoulder. The former shadow gasped.

“Oh, Sensei…! Wow! Talk about a Heat Riser! Teddie is going to go all out with his reading just for you!”

“Quit talkin’ and just do it already!” Kanji snapped.

“Gah! You’re bursting my bubble, Kanji! But fi~ine!” He squinted at the paper. “Les’see! Chaos… Chaos is rising from something? Actually, Teddie doesn’t think it matters what exactly. Just kind of the fact that chaos is rising, right?”

“You may have a point.” Naoto murmured, thinking. “I suppose we’ll need to find information on this… ‘Nyarlathotep’ figure and their association with ‘chaos’ then, correct?”

Yosuke snapped his fingers. “...I think I get what you were talking about earlier. You think that this ‘fake Kirijo’ might be this ‘Nyarlathotep’ whatever, right? Or possessed? Or like, being puppeteered?” 

Naoto nodded. “There’s some influence. We were able to uncover a short audio clip as well. Whatever is controlling or pretending to be Kirijo-san… it was able to stop Aigis’ assault with a single blow.”

Yosuke’s eyes widened. “...Yeesh. So, going back to not wanting to cross normal Kirijo, I’m not… psyched to have to go against ‘Potentially Evil and Enormously Powerful’ Kirijo either.”

“Y’scared, Yoooosuke?” Teddie asked, tauntingly.

“Uh, kinda!” Yosuke shot back. “But… well, I’ve been scared before and managed to pull through. Besides, that was just Aigis fighting by herself. If we work together, we could totally win this!”

“And if we work with the Phantom Thieves, right?” Said Rise. “That’s the other thing you were getting at. We’d tip the odds a lot more in our favor if we didn’t waste time and energy trying to circumvent the Phantom Thieves.”

Naoto nodded. “Exactly. Please listen, I’m not saying to instantly betray the Shadow Operatives. I don’t want to burn bridges with them when our only potential quarrel is with Kirijo. I’m saying that we lay low, keep to ourselves, and try to gather information on this ‘Nyarlathotep’ figure. And, in a few days, when the Phantom Thieves come to retrieve their leader…”

“...We simply let them. The mission may end up a failure, and we may get… scolded, but I’d take that over useless infighting any day.” Yu reasoned, simply. “I can get behind this plan. And, on that day, we confront Kirijo ourselves, hopefully with the support of the Phantom Thieves.”

Naoto nodded. "Do you want to risk the others telling the Shadow Operatives about our plan? We work sparingly with the Phantom Thieves. No personal meetings, nothing that can trace us. We communicate entirely via phones with them."

Kanji frowned. “Wait, why not just let Amamiya out now? Doesn’t waitin’ seem kind of… arbitrary?”

Naoto shook her head. “Kidnapping Amamiya seems like part of Kirijo’s plan. I want to prepare accordingly, and if we tip her off that we’re working against her… I wouldn’t want to be unprepared for the case that she chooses to retaliate.”

Yu quirked a brow. "Why are you so committed to these kids? I mean, whatever situation results in the least amount of mess, I'll help with, but... you're getting kind of into this."

Naoto smiled to herself. "I've had plenty of time to reflect upon myself and my viewpoint of the world. When I first tried to become a detective, I became so obsessed with overcompensating that justice was only a means to an end to get approval. When I saw those children and associated them with the rebelliousness and messages that they preached, I could tell that they truly believed in a cause. They didn't care about what others thought. They simply cared about their impact on the world at large. I'm not trying to be some sort of hero, but they are, and I have no reason to impede upon their goals."

Chie blinked. "You really thought about it that much?"

"That, and I'm choosing to follow Yukari-san's judgment that something is up with Mitsuru. I'm going to be doing some investigating. I noticed a few red flags. Notably Teddie's reaction to the headphones. He seemed to be in extreme distress when it was activated, and in extreme rage when the process had finished, and Kirijo just seemed to brush it off as nothing. If it was that stressful, why would she give us and her own team that kind of technology?"

Yosuke nodded. “Those headphones are definitely suspect as hell. Speaking off, how did they feel Ted? You were the only one who’s used them so far.” 

Teddie scratched his chin. “I dunno… I wish I had an answer, but it all kind of seems like a blur. All Teddie remembers is that he said ‘Persona’! And then there was a boom! And then there was my Persona. But… then things got to get real fuzzy, and not in the fun way. I felt back to normal when Mit-chan slapped me though! But outside of that, I just can’t get my paws on the feeling.” He waggled his fingers in front of Yosuke, most likely in some vague association with the paws comment. Yosuke slapped his hands away.

“Gah! Don’t do that! You don’t have your dumb bear suit on! ...Not like it’d make it any less weird.”

Kanji frowned. “But you don’t feel evil or nothin’? No anger or repressed desire to murder or somethin’?”

Teddie gasped. “How dare! The only thing Teddie kills is the hearts of all the pretty ladies that know him! Oh! Speaking of, do the Phantom Thieves-”

“They’re full-on members.” Chie interrupted, bluntly.

“But Teddie was just thinking--” 

“Nope. No openings.”

He slid down in his seat, defeated. “You shut me down way too quickly, Chie-chan!”

Yukiko suddenly gasped. “Oh! That actually brings up a question I was meaning to ask. Since you’re working so closely with the Phantom Thieves, does this mean you’re an official member? Do you have a mask and everything?”

Chie laughed nervously, shaking her head. “No, no… I’m just helping them get stronger…”

Yosuke raised his hand. “Next question then. Since you bothered to work on summoning without us, can you summon your Persona outside of the T.V?”

“I’ve only managed to do it once. I’ll need some more work so I don’t get as tired.”

“How’d you do it?”

“My sensei almost crushed me with a wall of solid stone. I hardcore panicked and then boom- Persona.”

“Jeez, your sensei sounds like a hardcore dude,” Yosuke said, chuckling.

Chie shrugged, grinning. “She’s actually pretty cool. She has a Persona too- or, you probably all guessed that already.”

Teddie slammed his hands on the table. “Chie-chan’s sensei is a strong, lovely woman!? I say we all go meet her for training immediately! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s goooo!”

Naoto cleared her throat. “Let’s not. We’ll need to be discrete, and if we all suddenly start growing stronger and have long unexplained absences as we train, that may tip off the fake Kirijo. Chie has someone looking at the technology that makes those ‘headphones’ function. Let’s figure out the ‘deal’ with the headphones first, and then see how that may affect our Persona summoning.” She took a breath. “...But for now, let’s take a break. We’re in Tokyo. We should enjoy the city and take things easy in conjunction with planning.”

“Big city livin’!” Kanji exclaimed, proudly.

Rise raised an eyebrow. “Uh, what? Is that your new catchphrase or something?”

Yu got up. "Moving on from that… good plan, Naoto. I'm going to head back to my hotel. I need to rest up for the next planning session. Let’s go, Rise." Rise quickly stood up, following him out of the restaurant. Kanji and Naoto got up as well.

"Alright, well, if everyone’s startin’ to leave, we should get going too!" He picked her up bridal style, hurrying out.

Teddie and Yosuke hopped up as well, walking out. “We should get back too. Seeya tomorrow!” 

Yukiko finally got up, kissing Chie on the cheek. “Thanks for letting me share your room. I’ll be back there. We should try and get some rest.”

Chie blushed. "Ahah… alright…” She paused as Yukiko left. “Huh, what was that about? Well, who's getting the-" Chie looked around at the empty table. "Gah, jerks! They left me with the bill! I didn’t even eat the most this time!" She cried, before grabbing the check. “Jeez… is that why Teddie kept ordering extra…?”

She rolled her eyes, sitting back. “I’m totally gonna get them back later but… ‘Nyarlathotep’, huh? Just what kinda thing are we shaping up to go against?”

* * *

**[6]** days until the deadline.

* * *

Maya felt a chill run down her spine. She wasn’t really one for prophecies or premonitions- for some reason, they just seemed to give her the worst sense of deja vu, but at the same time she had gotten attuned to understanding when things were going to go south. She had found herself standing in front of the massive crater that the kids… somehow managed to create. They hadn’t exactly given her many details. Just something about a guy with his dog, and then Makoto exploding. 

She had tried to be as understanding as possible, though. No reason to be harsh with them. They had made a mistake, and they were clearly panicking about it. Haru had even put forward the idea of putting their remaining ‘Metaverse Money’ towards restoring it. Maya had thought that was nice. But… well, she had to take some responsibility for this. Personas, Shadows, Demons… any time they had found their way out of the Collective Unconsciousness and into the real world, trouble was soon to follow. You never just casually summoned a Persona. There had to be some reason. Some force. Some true intent to coalesce that much power.

Or, in simpler terms, Personas were kind of like omens.

_”I couldn’t have said it better myself.”_

She heard a voice next to her. She didn’t bother looking. She knew exactly who was standing next to her, and just acknowledging her was going to be a hassle. This had happened before- had been becoming a bit more common, much to her chagrin. 

“Please go away, Ms. Impostor.” She said simply, folding her arms. That glowing-eyed monster that crept at the corner of her vision. Tormented her constantly, begging to be acknowledged and accepted. As if Maya would accept something that was so clearly made of hate and malice. Her eyes finally drifted over to the mirror image of herself, so casually idling next to her as if it actually belonged in the world. 

_”You’re still in denial? I am thou, thou art I. You lucked out with gaining a Persona, and yet you still refuse to accept me? It’s really a mystery why Philemon bothered to entrust so much to you.”_ Her shadow replied, her tone vapid and uncaring. 

Maya rolled her eyes. “All you do is bother me. You’ve just been bothering me more, recently.”

 _”I wonder why…”_ Her shadow chuckled, shaking her head. _”I hear you’ve taken up babysitting. Or, well, I know. I am you, after all.”_

“It’s not--”

_”Although, tell me, Amano Maya. Is this a new cry for help? You’ve been out of action for so long, and so the second you get a chance to shove your way back into the spotlight, you grab at it?”_

Maya’s shoulders tensed. That wasn’t true. She just wanted to provide some guidance. Teenagers weren’t supposed to be handling world-ending threats, they were supposed to be… well, teenagers. Going to the beach, dealing with romance drama, watching movies and pulling pranks. They weren’t supposed to have the weight of humanity and society weighing on their shoulders. She only remembered bits and pieces of the Other Side, but she had seen what happened to Tatsuya. The pain in his eyes, the constant struggle he put himself through. The fact that he punished himself to an eternal hell just to make things right again. She didn’t want to see anyone else suffer like Tatsuya, or Jun-kun, or Lisa, or Eikichi, or anyone who had put themselves through that hell with Nyarlathotep.

A sudden burst of emotion welled up within Maya. Familiar memories dragging themselves out of a place that she had wanted to forget. The aftermath of their last major battle, the defeat of an evil god. A feeling of relief, followed by a rush of sadness. Tears. A kiss.

Right. Tatsuya.

“You’re not me.” She spat out, suddenly. The woman next to her groaned.

_”Years ago, I would have longed to hear those words. Denial only makes me stronger, after all. But for some reason, you can hold your own. You won’t accept your flaws, and you won’t drop dead. You really do make my existence a total pain, you know?”_

Maya smiled slightly. “Well, maybe you should stop existing? That could solve the problem.”

_”Awfully harsh words from ‘Miss Positive’. Are we sure I’m the Shadow?”_

“You didn’t answer my question about why you’ve been showing up more.” Maya said, not dignifying her ‘other self’ with a response.

 _"You talk so much shit about overcoming personal demons and 'thinking positive', and you can't even follow your own advice."_ The other woman continued, not paying her any mind. She chuckled, brushing back her hair. _”Oh, if only you were weaker. If only I could slaughter you and take your place…”_

Maya didn’t respond. This routine was… familiar. The best thing to do was to let it talk. No matter how grating and hurtful it got.

_"You try so hard to be peppy. I wonder why? Maybe it's because you know that if you don't at least pretend to be young, people will realize you're a withered, useless, old woman who's going to die unloved unless she puts on her 'happy face'. What a joke."_

“Did Nyarlathotep make you? Either that, or you’re just some figment of my imagination.”

 _”So serious. Maybe you’ve picked that up from your precious ‘Kacchan’? Although… on the topic of Mister Suou…”_ She smiled mischievously. _”Does he know how often you think about his little brother? I wonder… are you disappointed that things turned out like this?”_

“Please be quiet.”

_”I think you are.”_

“You’re nothing but a lying--!” A finger pressed against her lips, as the other Maya shushed her, glowing yellow eyes filled with an eerie calm.

 _”Now, why would I lie to you? The only one who would lie to themselves is… oh, perhaps you might have a point.”_ The shadow smirked, removing her finger from Maya’s lips and resting her hands on her hips.

Maya’s teeth clenched. She felt her own power welling up inside her, as the other person with her face chuckled. “I’m starting to get tired of you. If you want to fight, we can do it here and now!”

 _”Don’t bother. We wouldn’t want to make a scene. And, well… look who’s coming.”_ Her shadow gestured backward, as she caught a faint glimpse of Katsuya. The shadow started walking off, fading away. _”Ta-ta. We’ll talk again when things are closer to absolution. Oh, and remember… ‘think positive’, right?”_ Maya caught a glimpse of a sly wink before her attention was ripped away, her eyes focusing on Katsuya. He seemed worried, or, less so. More relieved as he finally caught up to her.

"Maya! There you are! You had just walked off without saying anything, I got a little worried. Still… this is where it happened, huh?" He stared at the crater- practically covered in police tape, officers and construction workers surrounding it like bees. “...I can feel it. Makoto’s nuclear power- it’s certainly strong. Maya slowly glanced down, as Katsuya gently placed his hand on her chin, looking her in the eye. He wiped a tear from her cheek. She hadn't even realized she was crying. "What's wrong? Headaches again? You know, we should really go to a doctor for those."

"...A doctor won't be able to help. I'm fine, though. I just didn't drink enough water today, I guess. Got a little bit dizzy." She forced a smile. "Still… Do you ever just get the feeling that something bad is going to happen? I mean… maybe we shouldn’t have gone after the Phantom Thieves. Maybe they’d be safer if we just… left them be.”

He dropped his hand from her face, taking a quiet breath. “Maybe. If it’s about the park, maybe we should have been better teachers. Maybe we should have found a different spot. There’s a whole lot of choices we can make in life.” He pulled out a cigarette, offering it to Maya quietly. She denied it, so he simply put it in his mouth and lit it instead. “...Thing is, we just need to make the most of the choices we make. If we keep dwelling on how they’re ‘wrong’, we’re just going to drive ourselves crazy.”

She laughed, somewhat bitterly. “Now that’s thinking positive.” She sighed, wiping at her eyes. "How did you do it, Katsuya?"

He blinked. "Do what?"

She paused, thinking for a moment, before plucking his shades off his face. No reason to keep yanking the mood down. "...Keep these for over twenty years. What's it like seeing the world with a permanent red tint?" She put them on, gasping in mock surprise. "My god, it's like my entire world became a Kool-Aid commercial."

Katsuya frowned. “Maya, don’t try to change the subject…”

“Have you ever ran a stoplight? I’m sure all of the lights look red with these on.” She continued. “I wonder how many misdemeanors you have simply because you lost your sense of discerning color…”

“Maya.” He said, sternly.

“Katsuya.” She replied.

He sighed defeatedly, reluctantly moving on. “"Please. Don't shame me for my shades when you still carry around 'Mr. BunBun'." He said, casually plucking the glasses from Maya’s face and sliding them back on.

"First of all, his name is Mister Bunbun Amano-Suou, and he was the best man at our wedding." Maya retorted, feigning offense.

"That's a lie. Tatsuya was."

Tatsuya.

Maya paused, frowning. “...Um, about Tatsuya…”

Katsuya raised an eyebrow. “What about him?”

“...What do you think would happen if he regained his memories? His memories of us. Well, not ‘us’ but… well, everything.”

“Outside of the universe being one more person closer to collapsing?” Katsuya replied, rubbing his chin. “I’m not sure. I really don’t want to think about it. He’s happy as he is, and… well, That Tatsuya was never happy.”

“So sad. So… mature.” Maya said, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“If being mature means being sad, then you’re the youngest person I know.” Katsuya said with a slight smile. Maya giggled. 

“What does that even mean, Kacchan?”

“It means--”

“I was being rhetorical! Just, can we go back to talking about how you disrespected Mr. Bunbun’s honor?” She said, pushing him lightly.

“I don’t think that’s where you want this conversation to go.” Katsuya said, somewhat accusingly. Maya rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"Where I want this conversation to go is straight to an apology. You need to respect him as a man, a rabbit, and as a member of this family. If you don't, I'm going to make you formally apologize to him in public." She reached into her purse, threateningly starting to pull out a bunny-shaped mass of buttons and felt.

Katsuya put his hand on hers, slowly returning Mr. Bunbun to whence he came. "Fine, fine. I shouldn't have insulted Mister Bunbun Amano-Suou like that. And apparently, you don’t feel like actually talking. Can we at least go get something to eat, then? It’s early, neither of us have eaten yet, and we shouldn’t be dawdling around like this.” He turned around, starting to walk off.

Maya stood there for another moment, looking around to maybe catch another glimpse of the shadow that had been plaguing her, before watching Katsuya walk off. "...You know, you're the only person I know that's ever seriously said the word 'dawdle'." she called out, hurrying after him.

* * *

Mitsuru sat in her office, the lights still at an incredibly low level. There was a knock at the door. She groaned. Usually, when the lights were off, it meant that someone didn't want to be bothered. Still… humans were like insects, you could never truly get rid of them unless you decided to burn the entire house down.

"Come in." She called out.

"Yo, Mitsuru-senpai. I just... uh..." Junpei wandered in, fidgeting with his hands. He looked around. "Wow, it's... dark in here. Is this some sort of new cleanse or--"

Iori Junpei. Apparently the resident goofball of the former S.E.E.S organization, and the current jackass of the Shadow Operatives. Never called in unless the situation absolutely called for it. She had no idea what he was doing in his personal life. Something to do with baseball. She really… couldn’t care less.

"Spit it out, Iori." She snapped, retrieving her sunglasses.

"I was just sayin' you looked good- ah, nevermind. It didn't make any sense. I just wanted to check up on you. See if you were doin' alright. You know, just make sure you weren't in any sort of trouble."

She raised an eyebrow. "...Why would I be in trouble, pray tell? Do you know something I don't?"

He sat down across from her shaking his head. "No! Well, uh, Yuka-tan was just worried about you. Said you were acting weird and antsy."

"I'm acting weird and antsy? I was going to say the same about Takeba." She retorted, calmly. He blinked, somewhat confused. That dumb face of his- gullible in every aspect. He reminded her of that peacock-headed musician.

"Uh, Yuka-tan? I mean, she's been nicer to me, if anything. What's that saying, 'distance makes the heart grow fonder'?"

"You haven't been here as long. She's been consorting with the prisoner. Giving him looks. I'm getting the feeling that they're scheming something."

He had the gall to actually laugh. "Yukari and that Amamiya kid? No way! She's just as loyal to the team as I am!"

"Which is why she wanted you to 'check up on me'?" Her gaze pierced into him. He started to sweat. Good.

"...Well, I..."

"Iori, I want you to do me a favor. I have been filled with nothing but stress and anxiety ever since I've retrieved that calling card, you're aware of that, right? I’ve been filled with a constant chill, I’m practically freezing. You can feel if you’d like.” She held out her wrist.”

“Heh, I mean, I always imagined you were kind of cold Mitsuru-senpai, because of your…” He shook his head. "...Uh, I mean… no thanks. I think I got the picture. It's just... really hard to imagine you as scared, Mitsuru. I mean, even with Nyx, you managed to get your shit together."

"Try not to use such vulgar language, Iori."

"Sorry. What was that favor you needed?"

"Keep an eye on Takeba. I can assure you, I have a rational reason to be jumpy. She does not. Make sure that she's as dedicated to this team as you are. It simply wouldn't be fair if we weren't all pulling our weight, correct?"

He slowly stood up, nodding. "I guess... I don't think Yuka-tan would do anything treacherous or whatever, though."

“Well, that’s the danger of the Phantom Thieves, correct? They change people. Suddenly, without warning. Twist them to their will, force them to confess, or drive trains off rails, or if they don’t feel like subterfuge- set off massive explosions in order to send a message. You saw what happened to that park, correct?” She scowled, slightly. "People change, Iori. Now, please leave, I don't feel comfortable around others right now. I feel as if those Phantom Thieves could strike at any moment."

He chuckled nervously, jogging to the door. "Don't worry! We'll sniff 'em out. Remember, Junpei Iori: Ace Detective!" He gave her a thumbs up, before leaving.

She sat at her desk for a moment, before chuckling.

"Oh, absolutely _nobody_ is going to miss that one when he dies."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually one of the biggest changes I made from the original to Redux. In the original I split the I.T because... uh..
> 
> _why did I split the investigation team???_
> 
> Anyways they split in the original but still worked together and it was contrived and stupid and I hated it and it contributed nothing. So now they're. Y'know. Acting like friends.
> 
> Also Maya's conversation with her shadow was a lot less... casual. More 'weakening' for her. I guess my reasoning for that it just because Maya's basically seasoned in regards to this kind of stuff. It's hard but she's strong enough to at least try and act like nothings wrong.
> 
> Honestly I'm not sure which version I prefer more in regards to that.


	20. Break In to Break Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akihiko talks with Mitsuru. The Phantom Thieves have a 'royal' guest call in. Teddie accosts Ren's personal space.

**[5]** Days Until The Deadline.

* * *

Akihiko had never felt uncomfortable talking with Mitsuru before. In fact, it had always been the opposite. She could be blunt and standoffish at times, but something more had to be going on with her than purely being worried about the Phantom Thieves. Paranoia was one thing, fear of death was another, but they had managed to face Death head-on. So what was it about these Phantom Thieves that made her so worried? 

He needed an answer. Those people who had their hearts changed publically before were the scum of the earth. Mitsuru wasn’t. For years she had taken time to fix the mistakes the former heads of the Kirijo Group made, slowly and surely trying to make the world a better place while still keeping the public in the dark as to not send the entire country into a panic. The Shadow Operatives were a group that he was proud to be a part of, but something about that calling card… being talked down to like he was on the same scummy level as that pedophile teacher, that plagiarizing artist or even Shido…

Well, he wasn’t sure what to think.

He stood in front of the door to her office for a moment. He felt… tense, the same slight tenseness he felt back when he was a teenager climbing up Tartarus with S.E.E.S, and they’d reach that room right before having to fight one of its many masters. That same tenseness that he felt back on the days of the full moon and the clock slowly inched closer and closer to midnight. His hands settled on his Evoker for a moment, his breathing uneven. He felt his fingers grasp onto the weapon, before he suddenly let go, shaking his head.

What was he doing? He was talking to Mitsuru, not fighting a Shadow. His nerves must have gotten the better of him. His instincts were usually better than this.

He opened the door to her office. It was so dark in there, he wondered how she could even see her hand in front of her face. “Doesn’t that strain your eyes?” He asked as she slid her sunglasses on. She looked at him, very much annoyed, it seemed.

“Excuse me?” A mixture of confusion, and offense. He closed the door behind him, folding his arms.

“Reading in the dark. It strains your eyes. Keep that up, and you’ll probably have to replace your sunglasses with real ones.” He smiled to himself. She seemed much less amused at his comments. That was… pretty expected. Mitsuru wasn’t one for jokes in the first place, but this probably wasn’t the right set of circumstances to try and appeal to her sense of humor.

She didn’t respond for a moment, just holding the eye-contact with him. He felt like he was being scrutinized like at any second she’d arch her back, flip out of her chair, and pounce at him like some sort of feral predator. His hands flexed instinctively as if his body was stressing for him to find a way to defend himself. He ignored it. Mitsuru was acting odd, but not dangerous. She returned to what she was doing before, her head angling down, red hair falling in front of her face.

The silence lingered. Akihiko didn’t move. He could tell that she didn’t want him around at the moment, but something was bugging him just to stick around. She clicked her tongue, looking up at him with scornful eyes. The urge to fight riled up inside him. He pushed it back down.

“Yes, Sanada?” She snapped. He shrugged, trying to ignore the tenseness in his body.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay. You’ve seemed stressed. Tense. Different, I guess.”

“That’s all?” She sat up, drumming her fingers on the table with an irritated rhythm. “Thank you for profoundly wasting my time, Sanada.”

He was finally starting to dawn on what was so different about her. Her attitude. Mitsuru could be curt, blunt, and devastatingly cold at times, but she was still compassionate. This woman sitting across from him, with nothing to say but venomous comments and cruel statements- this was different from the Mitsuru he grew up with. 

His eyes widened, before gritting his teeth, taking a few steps forwards. “Wasting your time? What’s your problem, Mitsuru? I’d get it if you were stressed, and I know you’re not the type to ‘talk out your feelings’, but you’re just starting to push everyone away for no reason. We’re a team, you can’t just shove us out of your life as soon as things start getting tough again.”

She glared back at him, before sighing. “I have to run a company, Sanada, and now I’ve been targeted by the Phantom Thieves. I know that may not sound as important as your latest ‘world-wandering’ kick, but while you go out and ditch society to fight people in your underpants, I have my own issues to occupy myself with.”

That was a low blow. His excursions to fight greater strength had been… misguided, sure, but he had quickly gotten over it, and he had to admit he had gotten stronger because of it. 

“You realize that the whole ‘Phantom Thief’ issue is our fault, right?” Akihiko growled. “You had me go scoop up some teenager, and now they’re pissed.”

He thought it was impossible for her gaze to sharpen even more. He was wrong. It felt like knives were digging into his soul. 

“You could have said no.” She said, curtly.

Akihiko felt like she had just shot him in the chest. 

“I-”

She stood up, walking around her desk and up to him. She jabbed a finger into his chest, and he felt his blood practically freeze. The anger in her eyes, the irritation in her voice. “You could have stopped at any point, but you simply went along with it like some puppet, and now you have the gall to scold me for my actions? You’re a hypocrite, Sanada, and I seem to be the only one taking punishment for our actions. So, how about you do something useful for once, and help stop those Phantom Thieves before something happens. I don’t want my heart to be changed, I don’t want to fundamentally change as a human being because they ‘don’t like it’.”

Her words stung, sure, but his mind was spinning- busy with other thoughts. He could have said no? There came the question of loyalty sure, but… he thought back to each time she had asked him to do something. Each request. Every time, no matter what, no matter his doubts, he hadn’t even considered the possibility of just… denying her. Trying to find a better solution. A smarter solution. That had to be why Takeba had been staring at him like he had lost his mind… clearly, he wasn’t thinking straight. But why? Why had he just followed along so blindly up until this point?

Akihiko looked down. “...Maybe we both need our hearts to change. You’re right. I’ve just been passing on the blame without taking a look at myself.”

“...What?” Mitsuru, for the first time in what seemed like forever, looked shocked.

He slowly made eye contact with her, eyes narrowing. “Nothing. I’ll be training if you need me.” He turned around, “...You know, being introspective is hard, but if ‘he’ was here, he’d probably be pretty damn upset.”

“He…? Just go, Akihiko. You’re not making any sense.” Mitsuru returned to her desk, shooing him off with one hand.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you. Later. I hope you get a hold of yourself, Mitsuru.” The boxer shrugged, before leaving. He stood out in the hallway, thinking for a moment.

“Maybe the Phantom Thieves have the right idea…” He shook his head. “No, I can’t think like that. Those other people they targeted were criminals. Pedophiles, abusers, corrupt politicians. She’d have to be extremely messed up even to compare to those guys…” 

It was so easy to villainize the Phantom Thieves, and it wasn’t like he didn’t have his own suspicions. They were anonymous, and technically criminals. They played by their own rules and had a power that was miles more mysterious than just summoning a Persona. The power to change a person’s heart… finding out where they stood on any sort of moral compass seemed nigh impossible. Shido admitted to a fair deal of the mental shutdown incidents, but a large group of them had been committed by an unknown party, and as much as he didn’t want to suspect the Phantom Thieves, was questioning the idea of them being involved that improbable? 

That being said, it only seemed like they sent calling cards out to criminals. But he knew Mitsuru wasn’t a criminal. He and the rest of his team knew better, but… maybe they didn’t. They were fighting Mitsuru because all they knew about the Kirijo Group and the Shadow Operatives was that they had kidnapped their leader.

...That made a lot of sense, actually.

He rubbed his temples, exhaling, thinking back to what she had said. She said that he had a choice, and logically he knew he did but… something deep down was telling him that his agency was a lot less flexible than she was implying. That didn’t make sense though. He would know if his mind was being altered, right? 

“Ah, Sanada-san.” 

He heard a calm voice from behind him, turning around to face the source. He waved, casually.

“Shirogane-san. You’re coming up to talk with Mitsuru too? I wouldn’t recommend it. After our chat, I don’t think she’s in the mood.” He admitted, chuckling wryly.

Shirogane glanced towards the doorway, folding her arms. “...I see. Well, do you mind if I ask you a few questions then, Sanada-san? Not to pry or anything, I’m just concerned about Kirijo-san’s well-being.”

“Go ahead,” Akihiko replied, casually. “I’m supposed to be meeting Junpei in the gym though, so I can’t stay for too long. Did you hear he’s actually pursuing a baseball career? Guy’s got a hell of a swing, too.”

Naoto nodded. “I can imagine. Good for Junpei-san. I guess I just wanted to ask if you noticed any… behavioral changes… in regards to Kirijo-san?”

Akihiko scoffed. “Yeah. A lot. I don’t know why either, and it’s been bugging me.”

“Can you think of a point where her personality seemed to have… shifted?”

That was a weird question, but Shirogane was a detective. If it was relevant, he might as well give it his best guess. “A couple weeks ago she went on a solo mission. Aigis served as navigator, because Yamagishi was busy teaching back at Gekkoukan.” He sighed. “Based on the files, it was at some place called ‘Osore Village’, but when I tried to find anything about the place after the fact, we ended up with nothing.”

“...Nothing.”

“It didn’t exist. Apparently it existed long enough for there to be a tip about active Shadow activity, and then for Mitsuru to go on a mission, but as soon as she got back. Poof- nothing.” He folded his arms, shaking his head. “Now, with a place called ‘Osore’, you’d think that’d be the source of her growing paranoia or whatever, but the most she ‘changed’ after the mission was that she was a bit curter, and she wanted to be left alone a little bit more. She didn’t get like ‘this’ until the beginning of the summer, a week or two ago.” He turned towards the door to her office, shaking his head. “Part of me honestly wants to think that the Phantom Thieves are getting to her, but… there has to be some more to the story, right? I have to be missing something.”

“Nyarlatotep?” Naoto asked, suddenly. “Does that name mean anything to you?”

Akihiko furrowed his brow. “No, never heard of it. Sounds… gross. Why, what is it?”

“I’m not sure either. However, do you think there’s a place where I could check Operative records? I want to see what I can uncover about it.”

“Huh? Oh, sure, I think you and your friends at least have 3rd-class clearance. Not as much as Mitsuru, but enough to at least dig through some old records.” Akihiko replied, trying to be helpful. “But, why? Is this something the Operatives should be looking into? I could ask Mitsuru to see if she could get you into some of the more locked off records. The joint ones with the Nanjo Group, and whatnot.”

Naoto shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. Thank you, Sanada-san.” She bowed, curtly, before starting to walk off.

“No… problem.” He trailed off, rubbing his chin. “Nyarlathotep… what could that be?” He glanced over at Mitsuru’s office, before sighing, shaking his head. “No use stressing about it now. I should probably get to the gym. Training is important, after all.”

* * *

* * *

“So we’re effed if we can’t train, right? Like, totally effed? Like, ‘we sent a calling card and threatened to get our leader back in a week but we didn’t consider the fact that we were going to get interrupted and our training spot was going to turn into a crime scene’ levels of effed?” Ryuji said, lounging in one of the booths in LeBlanc. Makoto had tried to call all of the Phantom Thieves together- no adults- for a quick emergency meeting, since their latest… scuffle had gotten both the attention of the media and the local police. Still, only a few of the Thieves had shown up at this point. She was actually getting a bit worried. Ann and Yusuke were nowhere to be found, and they had both texted they were ‘busy’. She sighed, folding her arms.

“Yes, Ryuji. We’re ‘effed’. Now, we need to figure out a new training area soon, or else we’ll be even more ‘effed’, and Ren will be in captivity for god-knows how long.” She replied, bitterly. She sat down on one of the booths, groaning. “If only I hadn’t gotten so carried away with fighting Amada-san… although I’m sure the remnants of our fight would have been seen either way, my, urm…”

“Nuclear freakout?” Futaba offered.

“Total meltdown?” Ryuji suggested.

“Mistake.” Makoto continued, through gritted teeth. “My ‘mistake’ pushed us over the line from ‘shadowy public adversary’ to ‘potential terrorists’. So, we’re going to need to play our cards carefully. We can’t have anything else--”

_Pi pi pi pi pi~._

She looked at her phone as it rang. She pulled it from her pocket, staring at the number from the other side, before slowly answering.

 _”Hello, Niijima-senpai. I hope this isn’t a bad time? And I know this may be sudden… but, um, I just wanted to ask if you needed my help.”_ Came a polite voice from the phone.

“Uh, Yoshizawa-san? Why would we need your help?” Makoto asked, cautiously. Yoshizawa had ‘left’ the Phantom Thieves for the time being, and for good reason. Her gymnastics career was on the rise, and she had to travel a bit more than the others. As far as Makoto was aware though, she was at a fairly prestigious training camp for the summer, so a request like this was both sudden and worrying.

_”Oh… well, I saw the calling card and--”_

Makoto blanched. “What?”

“Oh, is that Violet?” Morgana asked, ears twitching. “Put her on speaker! I want to say hi!” 

Makoto shakily put the phone down on one of the stools, putting their younger teammate on speaker. The gymnasts' voice crackled out from the receiver, alerting and intensely reminding the rest of the Phantom Thieves about just how bad Yoshizawa’s phone situation was as they collectively winced at the noise. 

_”Oh, was that Morgana-senpai? Oh? Am I on speaker?”_

“Ay, ay, Violet!” Futaba said, excitedly. “What’s up? Why’d you call?”  
_”Well, I tried to call Ren-senpai because I wanted to ask him a few things, but he hasn’t picked up his phone. All of my texts are unread too, although I think that’s just a glitch with my phone…”_ She sighed. It didn’t translate well through the grating speakerphone. _”Anyways, I’m at camp, but I saw some other girls excitedly talking about something, so I went to ask them what was up and-- oh, speaking of, I’m getting over my anxiety! People are talking to me more, and I feel more comfortable talking to others, and I just really wanted to thank you all again for--”_

“Thank us later,” Morgana cut her off. “I want to know what you’re getting at.”

Yoshizawa gasped. _”Oh, sorry, was I rambling? My apologies, Morgana-senpai. Anyways, they were really excited because the ‘Phantom Thieves’ were coming back, and apparently you all set off a bomb in a park? Which I didn’t believe for a moment, because where would you all even get a bomb?”_

“...Nothing to do with the fact that it’s totally out of character for us to set an explosive…? She’s only skeptical of us possibly gettin’ one in the first place?” Ryuji mumbled.

“Thank you for believing in us, but… that explosion was partially our fault. It wasn’t intentional, however.” Makoto admitted, somewhat shamefully. 

_”Huh? How?”_

“It’s a long story, Violet-chan…” Haru said, with a sigh. 

_”...I see. Oh, well, that doesn’t mean I think you’re terrorists! I stuck by you all and Ren-senpai back when you were accused of the Okumura incident, and I’ll do so now! But, there was something else…”_

“You mentioned a calling card earlier. Our calling card? To Kirijo?”

The tension in the cafe seemed to skyrocket. 

_”Yes! That! I was wondering if you had found a way to get into the Metaverse again. If you really need my help, I’ll be there! It’s the least I can do for you all!”_ She said, determination clear in her voice.

Ryuji folded his arms. “...The extra manpower would be nice.”

“No!” Morgana hissed. “We’re not dragging her into this mess. Ren was already kidnapped, and we’re against a wall. I’d rather not drag in another person to get taken down with us in the- slim- chance that we completely mess this up.”

_”Wait, Senpai got kidnapped?”_

“But Mona-chan, her Persona is fairly powerful.” Noir offered. “That, and she has a good amount of physical ability. I would say on par with Ryuji-kun and Mako-chan.”

“I dunno, I think I’ve got her beat on stamina,” Ryuji said, smiling. “Buuut, she’s got that gymnast flair, and she’s quick as hell. One good awakening, and she’ll only get faster. She’d be ideal for something like this.”

_”I feel like nobody is filling me in on what’s happened to Ren-senpai, and while I’m very sure you all have your reasons, I would very much appreciate an explanation. Please?”_

Makoto picked up the phone. “Please, tell us, so the calling card was leaked? It was supposed to be for Kirijo’s eyes only.”

There was a moment of hesitation in Yoshizawa’s voice, silently lamenting her questions not being answered, before she continued. _”Uh, I suppose so? It’s on a ton of major news stations.”_

Futaba rubbed her chin. “But… didn’t we like, explicitly mentioning Kirijo taking our leader in the Futaba Mini-Cannon?”

_”What a cute name!”_

“Thanks! Thought of it myself.” Futaba beamed. “But, uh, the question still stands. Why doesn’t the newbie know that Ren’s in the gulag?”

_”Senpai is WHERE?!”_

Ryuji slammed his fists on the table. “Bitch probably doctored it! And then when it got leaked, it just seems like we were threaten’ her and her little team for some vague reason!”

Makoto nodded. “That’s… an astute observation, Ryuji. We’ll need to put this into extreme consideration. Thank you for your help, Yoshizawa-san.”

_”You’re very welcome Niijima-senpai, but--”_

“Ok, we gotta talk about how to fix this now, Violet! T-T-Y-L!” Futaba said.

_”Wait, I feel like I’m missing something impor--”_

Noir nodded. “Hopefully, we won’t need to call you, but we very much appreciate the offer.”

_”I-It’s no problem, Haru-senpai but--”_

Makoto accidentally hung up. “Oh. Whoops. Well, I suppose she can just text us if she has any more questions. As of now, we’ve gotten another problem under our belt. If we don’t deliver, we’ll only become more and more criminalized. My best bet is that this is a strategy from Kirijo to turn the public against us.”

Futaba raised her hand, spinning around her laptop for the rest of the team to view. The Phan-Site was active again, comments flooding in. “Uh, that’s totally what’s happening too. Or, well, we’re sitting at a solid 34% approval. Lots of people hating on Kirijo because she’s rich and powerful, but lots of people loving Kirijo because she’s rich, powerful, and also they’re getting kind of tired of the Phantom Thieves. Which like… I don’t blame them.”

Haru sighed. “Well… we have to come up with a solution soon. I can’t even imagine what horrors Ren may be going through, as he waits for us to save him.”

Ryuji nodded. “Yeah. As tough as he is, the dude has to be going through some kind of hell.”

* * *

* * *

Ren hated the Junes Bear. He hated it's voice, he hated the way it waddled around everywhere, and he definitely hated the way it followed girls around the department store every time it had some free time yelling something related to 'seeing what's under the costume'. So, the fact that it was trying to shove soba noodles down his throat while tied up was quite literally a nightmare.

"Come on! You gotta eat! Or else you'll di~ie!" The bear screeched. Ren kept his mouth shut, praying to whatever gods out there that Lavenza would swoop back in and at least give him the power to use an Eiha.

Was Ren hungry? Extremely. He hadn't eaten in more than two days, and while the Shadow Operatives had made some effort to feed him, they had realized his protests and had given up. This bear on the other hand, was not planning on giving up.

"This is way too painful to watch." Someone muttered, walking into the room. Ren's eyes narrowed. Wasn't that the Junes manager?

"Teddie, please stop trying to kill Amamiya-san." A woman said. Ren blinked.

"Huh? Amagi-s--" As soon as he opened his mouth, a fistful of soba was shoved inside. The Junes Bear turned around.

"Yuki-chan, I'm not trying to kill him! He's so un-bear-ably hungry, I could hear his tummy growling from upstairs! It was 'claws' for alarm!"

Ren spit out the soba as the bear was talking. He wasn't going to eat any of their food, or take any of their handouts. He'd do this for as long as it took. After all, his diet in Tokyo had almost entirely subsisted of Big Bang Burger, or nothing at all. He could totally do that.

His stomach practically screamed. The three figures in the room grimaced.

Yukiko walked over, kneeling next to him. "You know, this protest won't help anything." Ren turned and looked away. "If you eat, then you'll probably be in bad shape and worry your friends, right?"

Ren squirmed in his chains. "I've made my decision.” He said, trying to maintain the dignity in his voice despite his… lukewarm soba situation. I'm not taking any handouts from you guys. Especially not from the Junes Bear."

The Junes Manager chuckled. "I don't blame you. Anything from Teddie's hands is automatic 'claws for alarm'."

Yukiko rubbed her chin. "You've definitely gotten more militant since you were little. It's only been a year, and you've managed to change so much."

"I heard the Amamiya's sent him back since he was causing so much trouble when he returned. The kid left an alleged criminal, and then came back and was doing things like flirting with teachers and making lockpicks."

Ren chuckled. He hadn’t exactly been… flirting with teachers. The last thing he wanted to end up in was a Kawakami situation. He had gotten a bit more brazen though... although Kashiwagi-sensei needed to learn some personal space. Honestly, he was getting the feeling that she needed a change of heart as well.

Yukiko sighed. "Well, that family was always sort of uppity, right? Every time they visited the Inn to 'check up', they were always so judgy. I actually kind of like the new Ren."

Teddie growled. "I don't! He's mean to me! Maybe we can get Rise-chan to seduce him, and then finally get him to eat! Someone call Rise-chan!" Teddie yelled, before Yukiko slapped him with a fan.

“I’m listening.” Ren said, deadpan. He was kidding though. He had no intent on--

“No, we’re not using ‘Risette’ as a bribing tool, have some class, Teddie!” Yukiko scolded. Ren’s eyes widened. 

“I’m _listening_.” He repeated, with emphasis.

The Junes Bear laughed. “See, he wants to meet Rise-chan! How about this, Amamiya-kun! For each soba noodle, you get one big kiss from Risette! Isn’t that a good deal?”

Skeeviness aside, it was incredibly strange how apparently a kiss from Risette was worth one soba noodle. Did something happen to Risette’s face? Did Risette die and was he offering up her corpse? At what point did a kiss from one of Japan’s top idol equal a noodle? He needed to know. He had a Risette poster in his room, he was a fan, he had to know if Risette had either transformed into a monster or died during his few days in confinement.

“Shut up, Teddie!” Yosuke snapped. “Besides, a kiss from Risette is worth way more than one soba noodle. You’d have to say like, three servings at least.”

Oh, good. The bear was just weird. Three servings of soba wasn’t exactly flattering either.

“How about we don’t talk about giving up my girlfriend for some soba, okay?” A fourth figure entered the interrogation room. "Hey, Chie and Naoto want us to eat together and talk. Apparently this is big."

Ren winced. That voice. He had heard that voice before, but…

“Gah- sensei! I was just kidding! Please don’t tell Rise-chan!”

Nope. The Junes Bear shook Ren from whatever recollection he was having. Great.

"Alright, Yu! Seeya, Amamiya." Yosuke hurried out, Yukiko following close behind. Teddie left his handful of soba noodles on the ground.

"If you get hungry, just lay down and eat these!" He explained, before hurrying out of the room as well.

Ren sat there for a moment, before groaning.

...Maybe it was the hunger settling in, but that floor soba didn't look too bad.

* * *

* * *

**[4]** days until the deadline.

* * *

Yusuke’s stomach growled. “...I wonder if Ren is eating well in confinement.” He asked, quietly. He and Ann stood in front of the imposing Kirijo building, early in the morning.

Ann shrugged. “We’ll find out. After all, we’re doing recon for the team! They’re going to be so proud when we come back with a ton of information!” This had to be her best plan so far. After all, the Phantom Thieves were becoming a public enemy again, sure, but they still had civilian identities. So, her plan was to just sneak into the Kirijo Building, search around, and come back with whatever information they managed to scavenge up. They did this with palaces all the time, it was basically the same thing!

“...Why aren’t we telling the others about this again?” Yusuke asked, as they began to take a lap around the building, looking for some secret entrance.

“Well, like, wouldn’t Kirijo-san and the security get super wary if a bunch of us came to the building at once? So, we do the infiltration together, find a route, and we can come up with a totally plausible reason why two teenagers are sneaking around at the crack of dawn.”

“And what will that be?” Yusuke asked, dubiously. 

“Well, uh, maybe… I don’t know. I was thinking of a ‘fake dating’ type excuse but does that really explain B&E?”

“If the two lovers are desperate enough.”

“Fake dating it is then!” They reached the back of the large building, before Ann pointed out a vent. “Oh, see! We can get in through there! I always wondered how Joker was so good at seeing that stuff in Palaces, but vents are all over the place in real life!”

“Hang on, I need to forget your flaws for a moment so I may accurately portray someone who has fallen deeply for you.”

Ann stared at Yusuke, before walking over and suddenly elbowing him in the ribs. 

"Jerk!"

"M...My apologies...I was simply-" He coughed, "I was not thinking...!"

She rolled her eyes, before scooting over to the vent, starting to pry it open. After a few minutes of struggling, and some help from Yusuke, the vent was open and an entrance was found. She nodded, confidently, before preparing herself to crawl inside.

“We need proper motivation,” Yusuke said. “What does Ren say before we infiltrate a Palace?”

Ann nodded, before snapping her fingers. “Oh, I know just the thing! He’d always act really cool and then say...” She dropped her voice, doing her best Ren impression.

“It’s Showtime!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief Kasumi cameo! This is the most you'll see in regards to her in this fic. 
> 
> Does this mean Royal is part of the timeline I have in mind for this fic? Still a solid 'iunno'! But I like Kasumi, so this was the least I could do. 
> 
> Tried to keep her appearance as spoiler-free as possible, but I did use her codename, so apologies!


	21. Confinement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Yusuke fumble. Yukari and Naoto chat. Futaba makes a discovery. Morgana makes a home visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Screw updating schedules we're SO close to the end I'm literally just going to rapid-fire post the chapters when I feel they're ready.

“There’s no actual way you thought this was going to work.” A disapproving Ken commented as Ann and Yusuke looked between each other nervously. 

So, apparently ‘Showtime’ only lasted a grand total of fifteen minutes. They had gotten caught fairly quickly, tumbling into an office from one of the vents. Apparently, Amada-san had heard them, and had been following the sound for the past couple of minutes, and was calmly waiting as they came crashing out of the ceiling.

“Our abilities to sneak around must have been heightened by the Metaverse. I suppose we… lost track of that fact.” Yusuke stated, hands fidgeting slightly. “I-I mean. Takamaki-san and I were on a date. That’s our explanation, and you can’t refute it.”

Ann nodded. “Yeah! That’s the reason!”

Ken rolled his eyes, not bothering to address that explanation. “You were banging around in the vents. You’re lucky that I was the one that ended up finding you. If security got their hands on you, you’d be… well, you’d be less than ideal. Security is only increasing by the day, and Sanada-san told me about your little… calling card, or whatever.”

Ann stared at him surprised, before giggling nervously. “O-our calling card? Ooh, noooo, you don’t really think we could be those awful ‘Phantom Thieves’, right Ken-kuuu--”

He frowned. “Please stop. Back at the park, we fought. Once I was able to discern Niijima-san and Okumura-san’s identities, the rest of you simply fell in place without much effort. Still, one week's time seems pretty arbitrary considering how unskilled you were. You’re going to be going up Persona-users that are miles better than I am. Kirijo-san included. Shouldn’t you be training, instead of… you know. Whatever this is?”

Ann sighed, folding her arms. “Well, if you already know, then I’m sorry for lying to you.”

“No hard feelings. We both have our alliances. And… well, it seems like I’m starting to sympathize more with you guys than Kirijo-san, the more I learn.” He glanced to the side, shaking his head. “...I don’t want to betray Kirijo-san, but you all should probably leave.”

“Wait.” Yusuke interrupted, “We need to establish a route to Ren. If you’re not planning on selling us out, then at least let us see him.” 

Ken sighed. “Fine. There’s a supply closet with some extra security uniforms a few doors down. You’ll definitely get noticed if you wear your street clothes. I’ll be waiting.” He turned around, heading out of the office. 

“Do you think he’s tricking us?” Yusuke asked. “Waiting for us to put our guard down, and then capture us as well?”  
Ann shrugged. “I have Dormina if we need to run.”

“Very fair point.”

A few moments later, the two Phantom Thieves grouped back up with Ken, both of them wearing extremely ill-fitting security uniforms. Ann being too small in general, and Yusuke being a bit too skinny for it to fit well. Ken kept his comments on the matter aside and gestured for them to follow along. The group walked for a moment, Ann and Yusuke taking in the monotonous hallways of the Kirijo Building.

“People… work here? This is why I wish to be an artist and not part of the workforce.” Yusuke mumbled, eyes wandering. 

Ann sighed. “Not everyone is lucky enough to get an art scholarship. Besides, with how Kirijo-san seems to be, maybe…”

“That’s enough!” Ken practically hissed back at Yusuke and Ann, causing the two thieves to take a very cautious step backward. “You don’t know anything about Kirijo-san. She hasn’t been herself lately, but she’s also not some massive corporate monster that’s trying to oppress everything and everyone in her sight.” He took a deep breath. “You weren’t there. You weren’t there for Nyx, and you weren’t there for Minazuki, and you weren’t there for the countless missions that she went on in order to protect the world.” He turned around, before continuing forwards. “Whatever. If I remember correctly, then there should be an elevator around here…”

Ann and Yusuke exchanged glances before Ann finally spoke up. “Amada-kun. You mentioned that you’ve been using your Persona since you were ten. Back before we fought. Was that true?”

He paused, before nodding. “Yeah. Back in 2009, I had the ‘potential’. Got drafted for a special group of Persona-users tasked with taking down Shadows.”

“Potential?” Yusuke mused. “I’m not sure I understand. Is there an outward difference between Persona-users and regular people that we haven’t observed?”

“Not really. I could just… well, the details don’t really matter.”

“I feel as if they do.”

“You wouldn’t understand it even if I told you. Besides, it’s long gone anyways.”

Ann folded her arms. “...’It’?” 

Ken finally led them to a set of elevator doors, pushing the button next to them. “Would you believe me if I said there were actually 25 hours in a day?”

“Not really…” Ann murmured, dubiously.

“Exactly. And there aren’t. Not anymore. My friends and I destroyed the cause of it.” He turned around, sighing. “There used to be this phenomenon called the ‘Dark Hour’. Time stands still, and everyone who can’t use a Persona is either turned into a coffin or slaughtered by Shadows.”

Yusuke’s eyes widened in growing excitement. “How disturbing. I wish I had a chance to observe it myself. Although, if such a phenomenon is tied to Shadows and Personas… then perhaps it’s similar to Mementos?”

Ann blinked. “You think so? We’d need to ask Morgana.”

“Would he even know? His own knowledge of Mementos was lacking. Although I suppose he did come into his memories rather recently. Perhaps he may be able to tell us something.”

The elevator doors opened up, as the three of them stepped inside. Ken entered a code into a small panel before the elevator started to descend. 

“Mind telling us the code?” Ann asked.

Ken paused for a moment, before shaking his head. “Aren’t you all the master thieves? Figure it out. Besides, I’m just taking you to see him. I already told you I have no intention of letting him go yet.”

Yusuke’s brow furrowed. “That seems awfully arbitrary. You’ll simply show him to us like some sort of prized catch, and then let him go?”

“You’re the one who sent the calling card. Aren’t gentlemen thieves supposed to only partake in the heist on the day announced on the card?” Ken replied, dryly. 

Yusuke grunted, as the elevator finally came to a stop. The three of them exited into the darkened hallway, maneuvering themselves around the strange crater in the middle of the hallway, and into a small room with a large glass window. The group wandered in, as Ann and Yusuke immediately looked through the glass at Ren. 

He looked… awful. His eyes were sunken, his complexion starting to pale. His hair had been messy before, but now it seemed stringy with sweat. He didn’t seem wounded, but he did seem incredibly weak. That, and he was inexplicably surrounded by soba noodles strewn across the floor. Ann glanced over at Ken. He also seemed confused by the noodle situation. 

“Ren…” Ann whispered. She banged her hand against the glass. Ren looked up, startled. “We’re coming to get you!” She shouted.

“He can’t hear you. It’s soundproofed. The most he can hear is that banging, so unless you know morse code…”

“We don’t.” Yusuke admitted.

“Thought so. Well, there he is.” Ken said. “Let’s go.”

Ann turned, fists clenched. “What’s stopping us from just taking you down and freeing him now? There’s two of us and one of you!”

“There were five of you last time.”

Ann stammered, before the three of them heard the door to the room they were in start to open. Panic struck the Phantom Thieves as they instinctively looked around for a hiding spot, and Ken wracked his brain for some sort of explanation.

The door slowly opened, as a white-haired man stepped in. He looked at Ken, and the two apparently very flustered young-looking security guards. 

“S-Sanada-san, it isn’t what it looks like!”

Akihiko raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about? Seems like you’re just showing some newbies around. I mean, I’d want to keep this part of the building for Shadow Operatives only, but I also trust you won’t do anything reckless.”

He looked over at the two panicking thieves. “Have you two been briefed yet? I’m Sanada Akihiko.” He folded his arms, before frowning. “Still, you two look a little bit young. What’re your names?”

“Shinji Nakanomatsu.” Yusuke said, far too quickly.

“Taro Tanaka.” Ann blurted out after him.

Ken sighed loudly. Akihiko just shrugged.

“Never met a girl named Taro before. Anyways, just don’t waste a whole lot of time with them. I’m guessing you guys must be guarding the elevator, but keep an eye out. Those thieves could be literally anywhere.”

“W-will do, Sanada-sama!” Ann stammered, saluting. 

Akihiko laughed. “Sanada-san is fine.” He nodded towards Ken. “I was just coming in to check up on Amamiya. The kid hasn’t been eating so most of the team is getting a bit worried. But it looks like you beat me to it..”

“S-Seems like, Sanada-san…” Ken mumbled. “We were just going, though. Isn’t that right, ‘Tanaka-san’?” 

Ann blinked. “Who’s ‘Tanaka’?” A moment passed, before her eyes suddenly widened. “Oh! Yeah! Just heading out! Let’s go, Yusuke!” She grabbed Yusuke’s arm, starting to drag him out of the room as Akihiko watched on with slight confusion.

“I thought this name was Nakanomatsu?” He asked.

“He’s married! Two surnames! How about we leave too, Sanada-san? Let’s go!” Ken butted in, following Ann and Yusuke out the door and hurrying to the elevator. 

Akihiko inputted the code before the four of them had an extremely awkward elevator ride. Ann and Yusuke scrambled out of the elevator, before starting to sprint towards the doors. Akihiko opened his mouth to ask where they were going before Ken suddenly jumped in front of the older Shadow Operative.

“You know, I think it’s time for their lunch break!”

“It’s 7 in the morning.”

“They got here _really_ early. How about we go train, Sanada-san? I’ve been dying to get another match in!”

Apparently, that was enough, as the two thieves fumbled out of the building, exhaling heavily. 

“Okay, we’re going back to LeBlanc, and apparently we didn’t find anything useful. This was… a useless trip. Outside of figuring out Ren is still alive. But…”

Yusuke shook his head. “I wouldn’t say ‘useless’. I watched Sanada-san put in the code. 0305.”

“Yusuke, that’s great!” She hugged him. “Do you think it means anything?”

“Most codes do. Although it won’t do us well to speculate. Perhaps we should head to LeBlanc like you said, and get some rest.”

Ann groaned, nodding. “Yes, let’s. We got up pretty early for this plan too. I definitely need a nap…”

* * *

* * *

Mitsuru thumbed her way through the files on hand, before hearing a knock at the office door. She picked up her sunglasses, sliding them back on. "Come in."

Yukari entered, brow set. "I've decided to confront you myself. Everyone's been tiptoeing around you, but we're friends, Mitsuru. And I'm worried."

Mitsuru didn't look up from the files. "You're not keeping an eye on Amamiya."

"I don't care about Amamiya! He's a kid, and if the actual files say anything, a pretty damn good one." She slammed a hand on Mitsuru's desk. "Top of his class, a freaking letter of recommendation from his homeroom teacher, community service with a councilman, and there's more. Ever since he arrived in Tokyo, he's done nothing but help, Mitsuru. The worst that's happened is that he showed up to school late on his first day."

"And proceeded to engage in activities that resulted in drastic social reform right under our noses."

"Right… but…"

Mitsuru took Yukari's hand, staring her down. "Can I be honest with you?"

The actress seemed taken aback. "Yes! That's all we want!"

The red-haired woman sighed, glancing away. "I'm terrified. I've felt out of control before, but this is an entirely new feeling. I feel as if I can lose everything that I love in the blink of an eye if we don't get some sort of handle or reign on these Thieves."

"Which won't work. They're rebels. We can't hold them down."

"I… I know. And I feel horrible. I mean, I just put you all in danger with my recklessness and arrogance, and now we're preparing for a... showdown? Like we're a bunch of children. I was acting like a child."

Yukari's expression softened, as she bit her lip. "Geez, Mitsuru. We all act differently when we're upset, or scared or something. Here's the thing, the Phantom Thieves only steal the hearts of the corrupt, right? We're not corrupt. We made mistakes, and we have a week to rectify them. When they come for their leader, we'll explain everything."

"Do you think they'll listen?" Mitsuru asked. "I mean, perhaps I do need my heart changed. Maybe, if you all leave Tokyo, I can take on the burden myself."

"No way! Listen, you hold tight. We'll handle this together. You have SEES and the Shadow Operatives on your side. We're a team. Always have been."

Mitsuru stood up, taking a deep breath. "I… needed that. Thank you."

Yukari looked somewhat surprised, before chuckling. "Seriously? Well, don't worry about it." She turned around, before exiting the room. "I'll keep watch on Amamiya, and you think of a game plan to defuse this whole thing for real! We'll meet up as a team later!"

Yukari closed the door behind her, before sighing. There was definitely something wrong here. As much as she wanted to believe Mitsuru-senpai was remorseful, she needed more evidence. Which was probably why she had asked the help of one of the best detectives in the country. She trotted down the stairs, before crossing paths with Naoto. 

"Just the person I'm looking for." Yukari folded her arms. “So, have you found anything weird with Mitsuru? I mean, notably weird.”

The detective nodded, adjusting her cap. “I’ve actually gathered some information that’s… notable cause for concern. The first is that Mitsuru seems to have abandoned a sleep schedule altogether, simply coming and going from her office as she pleases, but never bothering to actually leave the Kirijo building.”

“...That’s… creepy.” Yukari looked over her shoulder, cringing. “What else do you have?”

“Apparently she hasn’t been seen doing anything resembling eating or drinking. At some point in the past two weeks, Mitsuru has forgone human behavior and just started to… exist. She’s like some sort of highly-functioning zombie, to put things in less unsettling terms.”

“I don’t think that makes things less unsettling. Although, nobody really bothered to say anything until you asked? You think they’d come to one of the Shadow Operatives…”

“I wouldn’t be so confident.” Naoto adjusted her tie, shrugging. “Mitsuru still seems as glamourous and proud as ever. The common perception of her personality hasn’t changed drastically, and people are prone to finding justifications to the bizarre. Someone recalls not seeing her eating? Then she must be on a diet. Not sleeping? Stress from work- which could be useful although she’s shown no signs of normal fatigue. And those sunglasses.”

Yukari gasped, gripping Naoto by the shoulders. “I know, right? I always thought it was weird when she would never freaking take them off! I thought I was just overthinking things, but you think it’s super weird too, right?”

“She keeps her lighting low, which isn’t odd in and of itself. The strange part is that she is reported to continue wearing the sunglasses in the dark. However, I’ve also made contact with Yamagishi-san.”

Yukari’s eyes widened. “Fuuka? Seriously? She’s been MIA for like, weeks. Everyone was thinking that she had gotten busy, or had lost her phone or something. How is she?

“She’s worried. She’s picking up two strong readings coming from below and above us and has made the intelligent decision to not enter the building. She’s also found a correlation between Mitsuru and one of the dangers. I told her I’d investigate for us. There's also signs of her tampering with Aigis-san's data.” 

Yukari blinked. "...Really? I thought we destroyed Ikutski's remote for her..."

Naoto shook her head. "It's deeper than that. Darker. I'd like to give you some theories, but I'm busy with some research on my own. A being called Nyarlathotep."

"Never heard of it. You think it has something to do with Mitsuru-senpai?"

"Almost certainly." Naoto pulled out her pad, writing something on it, before ripping out the page and handing it to Yukari. “If… something happens to me, call this number.”

Yukari took the pad, looking at it. “...Don’t be so negative. We’ve got three days left, right? And besides, I still need to pay you. I really appreciate you doing this for me.”

Naoto nodded, before heading off. “I’m going to do one last lap around the building to see what I find. And don’t worry about payment. Count this as a favor.”

* * *

**[3]** Days before the Deadline.

* * *

“Woah, these headphones are crazy!” Futaba yelled, startling Sojiro.

“Huh? Wha? What’s up with them?” He asked as Morgana hopped over to Futaba’s table in LeBlanc, curling up on her shoulders. Futaba had spent hours trying to analyze the headphones, and that meant hours typing at her computer, staring at code, and trying to watch online videos to soak up different kinds of information that could help her in figuring out what was going on. She said that it was 'the least they could do', considering that the team seemed to be in a bit of a rut, and all Ann and Yusuke were able to crank out from their recon mission was an elevator code and that Ren was technically still alive.

“They mess with the brain just enough to get someone to summon their Personas! They’re like some kind of evoking machine? Caller! Persona Phones? P-Phones. We’re calling them P-Phones.”

Morgana squinted. “So, with these we’d be able to summon our Personas without any trouble, right?”

Futaba shook her head. “It’s a Monkey’s Paw thing. Yeah, you get your Persona, but your brain is so stimulated and super-charged that you basically lose your sense of self for a little bit. You become a crazy zombie with superpowers, which sounds awesome, but would probably totally suck to experience.”

“Kirijo wanted to give that to her team? Man, I’m glad Chie gave us hers! What if she had put them on and activated them on accident?”

“I know, it’s super weird! Especially since these were cranked up to the highest possible setting. I ran a few sims, and if these went off, her brain would be literally fried if she used them more than once, and the first time almost completely destroys the frontal lobe. These are, like, crazy dangerous. Although I think I can create a pair- a safer pair, I mean.”

Morgana nodded. “Make a pair for Ren, he hasn’t been able to train as we have.”

Futaba nodded. “Can do! Futaba’s Persona-Phones are gonna be so dope! Maybe I can sell them online? Although that’d be a ton of work… maybe I can just modify Chie’s pair to not suck so bad, and then give those to Ren. Do you think that’s possible?”

“Yeah, right. Sorry for all the pressure, Futaba.”

"It's the least I could do. Besides, we need a win, and this might make things a helluva lot easier!"

Morgana stretched, sighing. "Easier is what we need." He hopped off Futaba, starting to head towards the door.

"Where ya goin'?" Asked Futaba. “Doc Takemi doesn’t want you moving around a lot because of the whole gun-wound thingy.”

"I’m just going out. I'll be back in a bit." Morgana replied, before wriggling his way out the door and out into the Tokyo streets.

* * *

* * *

“Do you have any sevens?” Elizabeth asked.

“I do not ♪ I only have a Jack Frost, a Mara, and a Shiisa ♪” Belladonna replied, staring at her cards.

“Aha! So now, this is the part where you say ‘Go Fish’, and give me all of your earnings!” The Velvet Attendant scooped up the pile of tarot cards on the floor, as the other residents of the Velvet Room watched on with mixed reactions.

“Dear sister,” Margaret began. “Perhaps we should be formulating some sort of plan? Our day of reckoning is approaching far more swiftly than comfortable, and I am having doubts about the Master of Masters actually returning…”

Lavenza sighed, looking downwards. “Perhaps he has grown weak? It has been a very long time since he has assumed a sustainable form… and even longer since he has spoken to us.”

“Now, Lavenza.” Igor reprimanded, gently. “The Master is simply biding his time. If we lose faith in him, then who’s to say that humanity won’t lose faith in him and his ideals as well?”

“I’m sorry, Master.” Lavenza clutched her book tighter. “Perhaps I am a bit… pensive. My Trickster is still contained in what we believe to be the epicenter of the coming calamity, and I simply worry for him.”

Margaret chuckled. “Ah, I understand the feeling of deeply worrying for a guest as well… you must not err in the face of their apparent danger. The Wild Cards always have a penchant for escaping tough situations.”

They both heard a faint, somewhat bitter noise come from Elizabeth. Margaret turned to ask what the matter was before the middle Velvet Sibling turned and focused back on the game, pulling out some more cards. “...Belladonna, you’re no good at this game. Perhaps Nameless? You know I haven’t seen you in so long, you may as well play a hand with me?”

Margaret nudged Lavenza. “...Play with your sister. Your worries may find more solid footing with her than me.”

The youngest nodded, before slowly making her way over. Margaret stood next to Igor, smoothing out her dress. “...You are worried about Master Philemon as well?”

The old man chuckled, shuffling his own deck of cards. “...I suppose you were the most insightful, Margaret. I am. He usually leaves a sign, some sort of signal letting us know that he is there with us. And yet…”

“Not even the tiniest flap of a wing.” Margaret finished. “I’ve never had the grace of seeing Master Philemon’s face. I don’t think Elizabeth has either. Is he… upset with us?”

Igor looked up, surprised. “Ah, no. Not at all. Once Nyarlathotep was sealed away, he simply didn’t see his needing to be around any longer. So, he fully gifted me the power of controlling Personas and the Velvet Room, and left to be an observer once more.”

“Speaking of--” Elizabeth called out, in the midst of distributing her own deck. “Is there any reason why we are not allowed to leave? I mean, I understand the ‘reason’, but it feels counterproductive to simply sit and wait when we could be acting.”

“We are observers, we observe, and then act as needed. Acting rashly could result in unforeseen consequences.” Igor cast a wary glance over to Lavenza as she sighed, her eyes suddenly finding interest with the floor. “Although you may leave as you please- I’d advise you to follow your soul rather than your heart this time, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth paused, before pursing her lips and returning to the cards. “...Of course, Master.”

“I heard Master Philemon is very beautiful. That he was made that way to represent the beauties of humanity.” Margaret stated, shifting the subject.

“Beauty is subjective, my dear.” He pulled out a card. Lilith. “Do you see this Demon as beautiful?”

Margaret nodded. “Yes… and I think I understand your point, Master. Despite her beauty, the mythology behind her is filled with cruelty and sin.”

“Beauty isn’t a sign of goodness. Beauty is simply a coat that anybody can wear. Therefore, while Master Philemon may be appealing from a visual standpoint, he also tries to keep his heart his most appealing trait. If Nyarlathotep chose so, he could be beautiful as well.”

“He has chosen so.” Elizabeth piped up, glancing over her shoulder. “He’s taken the form of Kirijo Mitsuru. While she is fairly stoic, she’s heavily regarded as beautiful among the humans, as well as influential.”

Igor chuckled. “Very good point, Elizabeth.”

Margaret sighed, smiling softly. “I must apologize for my ignorance. Thank you, Master.”

“No need to apologize for the acquisition of knowledge. Despite your years, you are still very young at heart, along with your sisters. It is normal to worry, fear, fret, just as long as you don’t allow those feelings to take hold of your hearts.” Igor explained, riffling the almost endless deck of cards in his hands. “Now, perhaps you should go have some time at ease as well.”

Margaret seemed surprised. “But… Master? I need to remain diligent. In case--”

“In case of what, Margaret?” Igor asked, thumbing through his cards. “In the case of Master Philemon not making his appearance? We are beings of hope. Faith. Belief in the humans that we preside over. Doubt only leads to corruption, and corruption only leads to chaos. Unless… you are worried about your own charge as well?” 

Margaret’s cheeks turned slightly pink. “Narukami is going to be fine. He has managed to best the goddess of the fog and many other powerful Shadows. But… Do they compare to Nyarlathotep itself? They were all just fractions of the Chaos God’s power, were they not?”

Igor paused, before nodding slowly. “That is… correct. However, we have several sets of strong bonds in our wake this time, and I believe that they’ll all be strong enough to handle this together.” He pulled out another card, handing it to Margaret. “After all, the bonds of you and your sisters are in there as well, even if you are only relegated to observing.

Margaret picked up the card, examining it. “Oh, Isis… I think I see. Thank you for your insight, master.”

Igor nodded, before gesturing over at the other two attendants. Elizabeth’s carefree attitude quickly took hold of Lavenza as the two of them argued about the rules of Elizabeth’s impromptu card game. 

“I wish I could be as lackadaisical as Elizabeth.” Margaret lamented, quietly. “She doesn’t seem to have a care in the world.”

Igor sighed. “Elizabeth has plenty of worries. She’s personally brought it upon herself to protect humanity from Death. She just has mastered the ability to take life in stride.” He chuckled. “You would do well to learn from her. She has gathered so much knowledge from humanity.”

“But…” Margaret began. He raised a hand, prompting her to stop.

“Do not complain, Margaret. Go. Be with them. All we’re doing is lying in wait. You will have plenty of time to listen to an old man ramble on about life and the platitudes of living. However, I can not guarantee the next time you’ll be able to see Elizabeth again.”

“You may be right… fine.” She wandered over to where the rest of the residents were huddled around Elizabeth and Lavenza’s game, entranced by the strange rules that Elizabeth seemed to be making up on the spot.

A moment passed, before all of the resident’s eyes turned towards the ‘door’ of the Velvet Room, as a bandanna-adorned feline figure wandered in on two legs.

“Morgana!” Lavenza gasped, quickly running over to him and wrapping her arms around him. “I had heard what happened during your confrontation with The Feathered Man. I’m glad you’re well.”

Morgana chuckled. “It takes more than a gunshot to put me down, Lady Lavenza. But I’m not planning on staying long. I just need to know if you all are planning anything. I… I think we may need a miracle or at least some extra help.” He sighed, closing his eyes. “While I’m a resident of this room, I’m much weaker than you all, and I’m hardly a ‘guide’ anymore. Ever since Ren got kidnapped, it seems as if the odds are continually stacking against us. So, I humbly ask for your assistance.”

Lavenza took a deep breath, letting Morgana go. “...We cannot.”

Morgana’s eyes widened. “What? But something bad is bound to happen, right? Persona-users aren’t brought together without reason, and this many means that there must be a BIG reason, correct?”

Elizabeth yawned, glancing over at Morgana lazily. “As much as I would love to interfere with whatever is going on, Mr. Kitty, we’ve been banned from doing so.”

“I’m not a--” Morgana caught himself. “...I would appreciate it if you didn’t refer to me as a cat, Lady Elizabeth. However, aren’t you all rulers of power? What use is that ‘power’ if you won’t grant us any benefit?”

Margaret got up, sighing gently. “Morgana. We are Ones Who Rule Over Power, yes, but there are also rules and stipulations that must be met. Our roles in fate are to be observers until instructed differently. To do otherwise would be a sin.” Her eyes narrowed. Morgana shrunk back a bit. “Your case is different. You are a rebel. An interloper. Your entire existence is based around turning the sin of defying the rules of the Universe and this Room, and turning it into hope. So. Do so.”

Morgana’s ears flattened slightly, as he tugged on the bandanna tied around his neck. “I… I understand, Lady Margaret, but you must understand that it isn’t that simple.”

“Really? I was under the assumption that you were purr-fect for the job.” She stated, deadpan.

A long, awkward moment of silence hung over the room, as Morgana finally spoke up. 

“...Lady Margaret, was that a pu-”

“You will not be receiving our assistance. You may leave, Morgana.”

“But-”

“You are dismissed.” She pointed towards the door.

Morgana blinked, before quietly shuffling towards the door. “I… I can’t be the only one who heard that, right?” He asked, nervously, as the other attendants suddenly found other things to focus on. “Guys?” He looked around, before realizing that he wasn’t going to get anywhere, and awkwardly exited the Velvet Room. The door sat still for a moment before dark tendrils blocked it completely. The same darkness that had accosted the Velvet Room earlier had only seemed to linger in more... subtle ways. Lavenza winced.

“Poor Morgana. Fated to fight for humanity alone once again…”

“I still think we’re strong enough to destroy those tendrils made from that petty Chaos god, and win!” Elizabeth proclaimed, haughtily. “We can’t truly be trapped here.”

“Please. As if your power would be enough. Accept it. We are trapped here.” Margaret mumbled, sitting back down.

“...You know, dear Sister, you have quite the penchant for comedy.” Elizabeth replied coyly, as Margaret threw her grimoire at her.

“Be quiet, Elizabeth!”

Igor closed his eyes as the sisters began to bicker, the grin on his face weakening. “What a harrowing turn of fate… we are trapped within the Velvet Room, rulers of power relegated to none more than prisoners…” He mumbled to himself. “It appears the tricks of Chaos Incarnate seem to be much more effective than I had presumed. Please return soon, my Master…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get it? purr-fect? because morgana is a c


	22. Machinations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves plan. Naoto comes to her final deduction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've settled on 25 chapters total! Best case scenario- they all get uploaded by the end of this week! 
> 
> Worst case? Iunno. Like, the beginning of next week.
> 
> I really like the final chapters in the original, so I really didn't want to mess with them too much.

**[2]** Days before the Deadline.  


* * *

Working had been tough for Fuuka. For the most part, she had spent an intense amount of time trying to decipher the code that had been infecting Aigis. That being said, something like that was much easier said than done. That, and she had been fumbling through the Kirijo Groups files in order to get a decent map layout for the Phantom Thieves. That, and at least a vague dossier on her teammates. Basic elemental abilities at the most. She didn’t want to sell them out completely.

Well, she didn’t want to sell them out at all, but this seemed like the solution that would lead to the least amount of people getting hurt. 

Koromaru was resting next to her chair, eyes closed, before they suddenly snapped open. He began barking, as Fuuka gently pressed a hand against his head, scratching his ears softly. “Koro-chan, I’ll work on your collar in a bit. This is kind of pressing.”

Koromaru whined, shaking her hand away, before barking again. Fuuka sighed, before turning towards the door.

Her heart practically stopped.

A dark, inky liquid was seeping from the ceiling of the hotel room, taking the shape of writhing tentacles. They lurched forwards, as Fuuka fumbled for her Evoker. She pointed it at Koromaru, firing as the ethereal, dark form of Cerberus sprung forth.

Koromaru howled, flames burning at the tendrils, causing them to retreat slightly. 

“The window!” She yelled, sprinting towards the opening before hearing a yelp of surprise. Koromaru writhed as the dark liquid began overtaking him, his Persona starting to flicker and fade away. His large eyes looked back towards Fuuka, before barking angrily.

“Koromaru, I’m not going to leave you!” She cried, pulling out her own Evoker. As if her Persona could fight. 

It didn’t hurt to try.

She pulled the trigger, the form of Juno flashing behind her. The Persona scanned the incoming substance, before Fuuka’s mind was bombarded by a panicked mantra. She crumpled to the ground, her eyes wide, tears practically forcing themselves out her eyes.

**_The Enemy. Run. The Enemy. No weaknesses. The Enemy. The Enemy. The Enemy._ **

Fuuka’s breath hitched as Koromaru vanished within the growing darkness. She attempted to stand up, before one of the tendrils caught her neck, slamming her down to the ground. She struggled to stand, before the darkness overtook her.  


* * *

  
....  


* * *

  
The group that Ryuji had creatively dubbed the ‘Neo-Phantom Thieves’ (which nobody truly had enough investment or better ideas to argue with) stood in LeBlanc, staring at Morgana who was proudly pacing back and forth across the table. They could hear the faint clicking of a keyboard up in Ren’s room, as Futaba handled her own technological angle. A small projector had been set on the counter, showing off a screen on the back wall of the cafe, which had a slideshow that Futaba had slapped together in about fifteen minutes. Makoto was chosen to be Morgana’s voice for the evening, which she didn’t seem to be an incredibly big fan of, especially considering the stack of papers of things that Morgana insisted be said during their briefing. She cleared her throat.

“Ladies, gentlemen, Ryuji…” She began to read, trailing off and shooting the cat a look. Morgana snickered, curling into a ball and lazily staring at the punk, who in return flipped him off. Makoto rolled her eyes, before continuing. “It is a great privilege for you all to stand with the Phantom Thieves today. This will be our final briefing before we save our leader, Amamiya Ren, from the clutches of the Kirijo Group.” She clicked the slide, showing a picture of the Tokyo-based Kirijo building.

“This will be a dangerous mission, especially if we encounter any of the Persona-users on their side. Luckily, we have a solid team of…” She sighed. “Meow-velous… Persona-wielders of our own. You all will have an important role to play in this heist, as it will be our first official heist outside of the Metaverse. Be careful not to die.” She clicked to the next slide, which had a gif of a man falling off the top of a building. An uneasy mumble began to fill the room, accented by Futaba snickering upstairs.

“To the Phantom Thieves: Remembering that we aren’t in the Metaverse is important. Our Personas are weaker, and while Maya, Lisa, Eikichi and Katsuya-sensei have done a wonderful job at making us stronger-” She looked towards the four adults, before giving them a slight bow. “-We still aren’t at our full capacity. I’d advise against using any sort of ‘-Dyne’ skill unless absolutely needed. Or else…” Makoto moved to the next slide, which had a gif of someone melting into a puddle, “...This will happen? Futaba! This is ridiculous.”

“You can't prove it won't!” Futaba retorted from upstairs with a laugh. “Now keep going, I gotta focus.”

“So immature… Anyways, we’re in the final stretch. It’s going to be impossible to simply win with luck, we’re going to need a solid mixture of brains, brawn, and heart. If Ren was here, he’d have something concise yet inspiring to say, so just take about two seconds to imagine that.”

There was a solid pause, in which most of the Thieves seemed to nod in apparent understanding, while the others glanced at each other awkwardly.

“Okay, good. So, phase one of the plan: Gaining control of the security. This part of the plan will involve Maya and Katsuya-sensei, Mona, and Chie--”

Morgana gave Makoto a look. “What? We’ve barely discussed codenames. We can use them when we’re on the-” Morgana swiped at her blouse, as she rolled her eyes. “God, fine. Rabbit-sensei, Titan-sensei, Mona, and Dragon will handle this leg of the mission. Maya- no, Morgana, I’m not keeping up their codenames for the entire briefing- Maya-sensei and Katsuya-sensei will enter through the front, bringing with them a concealed Mona. Maya will distract the security, while Katsuya will drop Mona close to one of the surveillance rooms. From a map we’ve received from an anonymous source, there are several surveillance rooms around the Kirijo building, but luckily there’s one on the first floor. Chie, being given high security clearance with the rest of her team, will let Mona inside, and the two of them will give Futaba full access to the security cameras and footage.”

“I got this.” Ryuji said, folding his arms. “Once Futaba gets a hold on security, she’s gonna do that cool thing in spy movies where she makes it loop over and over so that it looks like nothin’ is happening, right?”

Makoto nodded. “That, and she’ll have control of the radio lines too. Any sort of incriminating messages need to go through her, and she’ll be able to stop them or tamper with them.”

“Tamper with them? How?” Katsuya rubbed his chin.

“I mean, I don’t know exactly but, well, Futaba can probably block out any incoming signals, which will definitely delay security if we get spotted.”

Morgana nodded, before gesturing for Makoto to continue, slightly digging his claws into the table with anticipation. “...So, after that, Ryuji and Ann will infiltrate the lower levels of the building, which is where we think Ren is being held. There’s both an elevator system and a stair system, so we think it might be best for them to use the elevator to get down, and then the stairs to return upwards, since the security will most likely be somewhat aware of us by then and shut down the elevators in an attempt to slow us down.”

Futaba wandered down the steps, still typing away at her computer. “Lucia-chan got me some information on Kirijo. She’s an Ice-Type like Yusuke, and since our only Fire-type is Ann, and she’s downstairs, we’re going to need to send our Fighting-types up to the upper floors, being Makoto and Haru.”

Haru nodded. “I may be able to use my influence with Okumura Foods to gain higher access to the building. Mako-chan will serve as a distraction, using her Persona to quickly make her way up the building.”

“Wait, but isn’t Anat a motorcycle? It’d have some trouble going up all those steps, right?” Ann fiddled with her hair, looking among the group. “Unless she, like, crams herself and her Persona into an elevator.”

“Well, ever since Anat awakened, it’s become a bit more than just ‘a motorcycle’. While the tactility of Persona’s are a bit nebulous, Johanna and Anat act as physical objects with the added bonus of being able to be summoned and dismissed at will. So, my mobility upwards shouldn’t be hindered, and should serve as a sizable distraction.” Makoto explained. “Once Haru and I have made it to the top, we’re going to engage Kirijo. As this is our first physical ‘change of heart’, we’re going to simply try and reason with her.”

“Armed, of course.” Haru added.

“...Yes. And, hopefully we’ll be able to appeal to her.”

Yusuke raised his hand. “...And, what is my role in this? I certainly hope it isn’t ‘stand around and look pretty’, as I’ve been just as invested in this as the rest of you.”

“Not at all. Your job is to hold the front line in the lobby. Stop any extra guards and police from coming inside.”

Morgana arched his back, stretching, before looking at his friends. “...Please stay safe, you guys. I don’t know why, but I’m getting this bad feeling, and if we don’t act as fast and efficiently as possible, we might be in trouble. So, please, just remember- failure is not an option.”

Ann sighed. “This is still… kind of a problem, right? I know ‘failure isn’t an option’, but we’re a bit behind on skill. Besides, Yusuke hasn’t even awakened yet-”

“Actually, I awakened a couple of days ago.” He said, casually. The group stared at him. He shrugged. “I was in the midst of working on my painting for Haru, and in a sweep of passion my other self burst forth. It caused quite a ruckus in my dorm, but luckily most of the other people living there had left for the summer.” He continued, as if this was something totally normal. “That aside, we’re defining combat as our last resort, correct? We’re thieves. So, we steal our target and escape. Prometheus should be able to pick up Makoto and Haru from Kirijo-san’s office as well, correct?”

Makoto nodded. “That would make sense. I was planning on just driving Anat out the window with Haru in tow, and having her set up a physical barrier in order to protect us from the ground impact.”

“That sounds much more fun!” Haru said, giggling. “I would much rather do that plan.”

Ryuji raised his hand. “I mean, I’ve been goin’ to the gym ever since we blew up the park. Figured if Personas are based on our hearts and stuff, then havin’ a healthy body will definitely make our Personas stronger, right?”

“Actually, I have been going to the temple in Kichijoji.” Makoto stated, “I figured that the meditation would help me concentrate on improving the summoning process.”

“The gym was an option?” Ann suddenly blurted out. “Morgana’s been making me do pull-ups!”

The cat’s eyes widened. “But they’re useful, right? Lady Ann?!”

“I’ve been going on runs with Lisa-sensei. It seems to be the only option that doesn’t require additional cost. And I feel more agile already.” Yusuke noted.

Haru smiled. “Well, it seems as if we’ve been trying to make our own strides to become better. Personally, I’ve started visiting that jazz club. I don’t think it’s incredibly useful, but I do feel more at ease.”

Katsuya cleared his throat. “Well, you kids certainly are impressive. I wish we could have done more. I can’t help but feel… well, a bit useless in a situation like this.”

“Not at all!” Makoto said, with a bow. “Without you all, we wouldn’t have even been able to awaken in the first place. And you all are important to our plan. In all honesty, we should be apologizing to you- the Phantom Thieves aren’t the most ‘above board’ organization.”

Chie raised her hand. “Actually- here’s something neat! My friends’ll try not to fight you guys! We came to an understanding, and as long as you all take your leader and leave, we’re at a truce. Can’t speak for the Shadow Operatives, but we figured that it wouldn’t be worth wasting our energy to fight you guys. Especially in regards to Kirijo… san…” She looked at her watch. “Oh. Crap.”

“What’s up, Chie-san?” Lisa asked.

“I’m late for the briefing! Ugh, I guess I can skip. I’ll just ask everyone to text me the details later.” She mumbled, sitting down on a stool. “Whatever, I bet it’s not on anything important.

* * *

“This is a crucial point I’m going to make. Failure is not an option.” Mitsuru paced through the auditorium. The Shadow Operatives and the Investigation Team listened with intensity, although most of the room was already dubious or had their own agendas already.

“We don’t know the methods of these Phantom Thieves, and frankly I’m not willing to find out, so you all need to be on constant guard. Isn’t that right, Tatsumi?”

Kanji looked up from his phone, blinking. “Huh? Oh- uh, sorry. What was that?” He had been out of it for what felt like hours. Outside of the fact that this meeting was probably the most boring thing on the planet, he hadn’t heard a thing from Naoto. Sure, Chie was off doing her own thing with the Phantom Thieves, which Yukiko had handwaved with her having a stomach-ache from going wild at Big Bang Burger last night to the Shadow Operatives- despite the fact that she was probably hanging out with the Phantom Thieves, but Naoto was just… gone. Without an excuse. Normally, if she was going out on business, she’d leave some long-winded note or text that would explain where she was going, what she was doing- if she was allowed to tell him, and the projected times of when she’d be back. She was thorough like that.

“Uh, Miss Mitsuru-senpai-sama Ma’am,” He stuttered, “Did’ya hear anything from Naoto? I’ve been try’na text and call her for forever and she hasn’t responded in the slightest.”

He watched as Mitsuru raised an eyebrow, before shrugging. “It isn’t my job to babysit you all. Although, I hope she isn’t planning on doing anything behind our back. We’re a team, after all.” She was definitely being real casual about this. It didn’t seem like anyone else was worried either.

Kanji felt all eyes on him, as he nervously put his phone back in his pocket. “Uh, no ma’am. She wouldn’t do anythin’ like that, I swear! Maybe she just got a call from work or somethin’...” He chuckled quietly, before looking down at the ground. “...Sorry.”

“Well, let’s move on. You understand your positions, correct? Chie has the lobby because ‘she missed the meeting, so she gets the worst spot’, as eloquently suggested by Narukami.” She scoffed slightly, before exiting the room. “Talk amongst yourselves, we have a very important day coming. You have one more day to prepare. Use it carefully.”

* * *

“You know, if you had some sort of grievance with me, you could just have come and talked to me yourself.”

Naoto came to a stop at the end of the hallway. “...Ah, Kirijo-san. I had heard you were in your office. Busy.” She said, one hand sliding over to her holstered gun. Mitsuru folded her arms, shaking her head.

“I heard you were snooping around. I should have expected some level of trust, and yet here you are.”

Of course, one of her lackeys must have alerted Mitsuru after being interrogated. Suckups. “If you have an explanation of why you haven’t eaten at all in about two weeks, refuse to leave this building, and seem to be intentionally causing distress among several groups via uncouth methods such as kidnapping, I’d be very happy to listen.” The detective’s eyes narrowed.

“The Phantom Thieves sent their calling card five days ago.” Mitsuru began, taking a step closer.

“Yes, and?”

“They gave me one week. Or, gave themselves one week, to be fair. Arbitrary amounts of time either way, but I really do love when one sets their own execution date.”

Naoto didn’t flinch, her hand now soundly resting on top of her pistol. “So you want them to come. Why? Did you expect us to kill each other?”

Kirijo scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Now, Shirogane, don’t be ridiculous. I wouldn’t expect you all to kill each other. Five seconds of conversation, and that would all be ruined. You all represent such sickening ideals like teamwork and friendship, that simply pitting you against each other would be childish. That’s simply the setup. The appetizer, so to speak. Watching Philemon’s little pinnacles of hope dance around like monkeys in an electric cage. What more could I ask for?”

Naoto felt like this was an apt time to pull her gun on what looked like Kirijo. Purely physically, but somewhere under that facade was something… evil. “Philemon?” She asked, simply.

“Oh, right. You don’t know him, but he’s the one you should thank for that little ‘Persona’ of yours. Or, well, you would be able to thank him- if you weren’t about to be lost forever.” She calmly pulled off her sunglasses, calmly twirling them in one hand. “Still… if you don’t know about him, I wonder what you were able to scrounge up on your little ‘investigation’?”

“...Unfortunately, any files on ‘Nyarlathotep’ are so heavily buried that I’d need to either ask you, or the head of the Nanjo Group himself for permission. And I didn’t have time for Nanjo, and I couldn’t trust you.” Naoto stated, bluntly. Kirijo laughed, shaking her head.

“What a shame. They truly do wish to bury the most terrifying of their adversaries. What a shame. If you knew, you wouldn’t be making such a bold confrontation.” She began approaching Naoto, “But… well, I wonder what prompted you to investigate me in the first place.”

Naoto scowled. “Yamagishi-san has her suspicions as well. As well as proof that you tampered with Aigis-san.”

Mitsuru chuckled. “The shut-in, the dog, the boy, and the robot. I have to say, Persona-users have gotten stranger in the past couple of decades. But… well, your ‘proof’ won’t hold much water. I’ve already handled Yamagishi.”

Naoto’s eyes widened. “You didn’t--”

“Call her.”

The detective watched the woman across from her for a moment, before slowly pulling her phone from her pocket. Her eyes darted between the phone and Kirijo as she scrolled through her contacts, before dialing Yamagishi.

She picked up immediately. 

_”Shiro...gane…?”_ Came her voice. Weak. Defeated.

“Yamagishi, are you--”

_”It’s over.”_

The line went dead. 

Mitsuru grinned, her eyes filled with malice. “She’s alive, but she’s despising every moment of it. What was the term they used? ‘Apathy Syndrome’? As if it was some sort of clinical disorder. Pah.” She rolled her eyes, before continuing to walk towards Naoto. “Still, compared to what I’m going to do to you, 

Naoto immediately reacted, firing three shots. All perfect. Two in the legs, one in the shoulder. Purely to incapacitate. Her breathing only hitched when she saw nothing but murky darkness pool from the wounds, before they slowly started to heal themselves.

“Ah, guns. What a ridiculous weapons humans made, when they had so much potential for more. Whatever, it’s more your loss than mine.” Kirijo’s voice started to shift, waver and deepen to the point where it was certainly more masculine, with some sort of underlying base that caused Naoto to grimace out of pure instinct. She could feel the blood starting to trickle from her ears, as her brain stumbled trying to process what she was hearing.

“Poor Shirogane. I wonder what I’ll tell your friends when you disappear forever. You cracked? Years of oppression from the system finally getting to your head, leading you to your suicide? Perhaps I’ll tell them that you simply gave up on them, and left them forever? That would certainly leave them distraught.” ‘Mitsuru’ rumbled, Naoto finally getting a better look at her face. Her eyes. Her yellow eyes.

“...You’re a… Shadow?” She held her gun up higher, as the monster before her cackled.

“No, you’re too far off. I should be insulted you called me a lowly ‘shadow’. Shadows are the remnants of myself. They’re practically the flakes from my skin in comparison. Do you understand? I am far above them, and far above you.” The thing that resembled Kirijo stepped forwards, Naoto finding herself crumpling to her knees for a reason she couldn’t comprehend.

Was this fear? This was more than fear… but how? She had felt scared before, but this was different. This was…

“Hopelessness? That’s what you’re feeling right?” The creature whispered, getting close enough so that Naoto could practically feel it’s breath. It was terrifying. Like each huff was made of its own collection of tendrils, starting to line her cheeks and grasp at her throat. “You humans are all alike. So proud until you feel legitimate fear, and then you crumple like paper and beg for mercy.”

“Who… are you?”

“Always the astute detective. I hate your kind, but I suppose I’ll oblige. I am all that is dark within humanity. I represent all of those ideals that you humans love to pretend you don’t have. Hatred, bigotry, fear, loneliness, chaos… I am thou, thou art I. Or, that’s how my softer half may put it. However, to put it simply, I am the one you’ve been searching for.”

Naoto’s heart began to race even faster. “Nyarlathotep…?”

It continued to speak, paying her realization no mind. “I'm simply here to enjoy the show as you all head towards a collision course for oblivion, although I might need to stir the proverbial pot now and again. Despite being eternal, I don't wish to wait forever.” The beast confined to the form of the young woman chuckled, as the hallway they were in slowly began to fill with darkness, creeping closer and closer, before it picked up and washed towards her like a thundering wave.

The inky liquid slammed into Naoto, sending her spiraling backwards before getting pinned against a wall. The false Mitsuru stepped closer, before a dark tendril sprouted from the ground, wrapping against Naoto’s neck. The detective let out a choked gasp, grasping at her throat. 

“I want you to summon your Persona.” The false Mitsuru ordered, “I want to see it.”

“I… can’t…” Naoto said, her voice hitching. Her body ached as she truly tried to reach within herself. She felt something stir within her, before a flash of light. Her Persona glittering heroically, before diving towards the false Mitsuru, rapier in hand. Naoto focused in on an attack, before her concentration suddenly shattered. Her eyes watered as they slowly shifted over to her Persona, suddenly caught in a dark web of ever-tightening tendrils. She heard a crack, as fissures began to appear within her Persona.

The false Mitsuru snapped her fingers, a confident smirk on her face.

“However, Shirogane, are not going to live to see that beautiful day. Goodbye.”

The tendrils suddenly tensed around her Persona, a pressure that seemed to transfer from her other-self directly into Naoto. It was an indescribable pain, tugging at every part of her body, ripping away at her soul. Still, she suddenly found peace as Yamato Sumeragi...

Shattered.


	23. Wake Up, Get Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren hatches a plan. Maya makes a declaration. Yu and Kanji cook together.

**FINAL DAY BEFORE THE DEADLINE.**

* * *

****

Ren could feel that things were going to change. Perhaps it was the excitement welling up in his stomach, or the floor soba that he had eaten off the floor out of pure desperation, but he knew that something big was going to happen. Keeping track of the days had been hard. Honestly, the only thing that alerted him that a new day had occurred was the fact that the Junes Bear would peek into the interrogation room and stare at him for about fifteen minutes, and then throw some more soba noodles on the floor next to him. Once for breakfast, another for lunch, and then finally for dinner.

Then, after that, the robot girl would stare into the interrogation room, and watch with both extreme confusion and slight worry as he maneuvered himself into a position to eat said soba noodles. After the first two days, she actually started to seem a little bit impressed, to the point where she would come in and shift the noodles into increasingly more complicated positions for him to writhe around in. Which was fun because he got to show off, but sucked since he needed to eat.

If hell was real, it was definitely this.

But today was different. For starters, the Junes Bear had only time to leave one serving for floor soba, which was disappointing. Also, the robot girl didn’t come and visit him, which was doubly disappointing. So, he tried to find ways to entertain himself.

For a few moments, he rocked back and forth, humming to himself. And the humming turned to mumbling, and the mumbling turned to full-on singing.

“And don’t you know that I belie~eve- we can fl~ly into the sky--” He immediately stopped, recoiling backward slightly as the white-haired man, Akihiko, walked inside. He smirked.

“No, keep singing kid, I could hear you from out there. We’ve already got one idol on board, I didn’t expect another.” He folded his arms, walking over to the glass. “To be fair, it’s a bit refreshing. I heard something about Aigis about you scrambling for floor noodles, and this honestly makes it feel like you’re not some evil mastermind. Which… makes me feel like more of an asshole.”

Ren’s eyes narrowed. This was sudden and new. Was this remorse?

Akihiko continued. “If I loosened those restraints, are you gonna run away?”

Ren paused for a moment, before shaking his head. It was a lie, obviously, but he really needed to get loose. His arms had already fallen asleep. “The door to this place is locked, right? I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere.” He reasoned.

Akihiko raised an eyebrow, before sighing, walking over and slowly unlocking the myriad of chains around him, before he was just confined by a solid length of rope. There was a pause, as Ren did absolutely nothing, and Akihiko smiled. “...Can I ask you a few questions, kid?”

Ren raised his brow. “...Sure.”

The white-haired man sat directly across from Ren, folding his arms on the table. “Does a change of heart… hurt? Like, what’ll happen to Mitsuru?”

He didn’t have an answer. Unless his team regained access to the Metaverse, literally nothing would happen to her, theoretically. But they didn’t know that, and that was the one trump card that the Thieves held over the Shadow Operatives. He needed to make up something, fast. “It won’t hurt her. Based on everything else, the target becomes bedridden for a few days, until their cognition fully changes. In which they’ll proceed to confess all the evil they’ve done, and ask for appropriate action.”

Akihiko frowned as if the answer didn’t satisfy him. “But, Mitsuru isn’t evil. The only thing she could truly confess was confining you. She’s not some criminal like the others. Isn’t there some other way?”

Was he… trying to make an appeal? Well, if that was the case, maybe he could bargain his way out of here. He stated the obvious request. “Let me go.”

“No,” Akihiko responded immediately.

“Then there isn’t another way. Sorry.” He closed his eyes as if shutting down the conversation.

There was a pregnant pause before he was caught off-guard. “Then change my heart too. Change my heart with Mitsuru’s. She shouldn’t have to take the brunt of this by herself, right? Send me a calling card too.”

Ren was confused. The last time someone asked for a calling card, it was Futaba, and that was because she had legitimately developed a Palace and needed help. This was the first time someone had tried to spur on a change of heart purely so that his companion wouldn’t have to be alone in the process. He chuckled. “Uh, well, I can’t exactly change your heart like this.” He gestured with his head at the rope holding him back.

Akihiko frowned. “I guess there was a whole process. Can’t you just make the declaration or whatever? ‘Sanada Akihiko, blah blah blah’, and all that?”

Ren looked at the rope around him, and then at Akihiko. He was formulating a plan to escape, but couldn’t do that if Akihiko was literally right in front of him. “Alright then. Let me think…” He needed to make this sound official, even if he was just guessing. They didn’t know how calling cards worked, so if he just managed to sell this, it’d be a miracle. He just needed to remember how Ryuji and Makoto did it. The way he wrote the calling cards had been very dramatic.

He cleared his throat. “Sanada Akihiko, wielder of the sin of…” He remembered the kidnapping. “Wielder of the sin of wrath. You have committed a grave crime in kidnapping the leader of the Phantom Thieves under little pretense and refusing to fully rectify your actions under due fear to conflict amongst your team. Your avarice, cowardice, and aggressiveness will result in your undoing, and you shall feel the full weight of your sins, and confess your crimes with your own mouth.” He would have summoned Arsene, just to flare it up a bit, but he needed to conserve any and all energy. He looked at Akihiko, who seemed to have bought into it fully. The man stood up, bowing.

“Thank you, ‘Joker’. I hope this works.” He said simply, before exiting the interrogation room, leaving Ren to his own devices.

...If he hadn’t been almost kidnapped, he would have felt bad for the guy.

Now wasn’t the time to think about that though. He closed his eyes, concentrating, before the sickening form of Slime appeared behind him. “Agi.” He whispered as a few pathetic embers dribbled from the Persona’s mouth, setting the ropes ablaze enough for him to burst out of them. He stumbled forwards, flexing his arms for what felt like the first time in days, and pulling loose noodles off of his shirt. He looked around, before slowly dashing to the door, reaching into his pockets. They had taken his knife, which meant he’d need to get creative with picking the lock.

He looked back at the chains and various bits of metal laying around the floor. He was desperate, and he felt like he could definitely make a lockpick out of that junk. He just needed time. He scooted over to the loose chains, Arsene hovering over his shoulder with its eternal smirk. “Alright. Cleave.” The Persona raked its claws against the metal, as Ren felt some of his life drain from his body. Small steps. There was plenty of time to be flashy, but now wasn’t it.

A rinse and repeat process, constantly cleaving, pressuring, and heating the metal while trying to use as little energy as possible. His face was illuminated by the small bursts of fire that flitted from his hands, and the sparks as the metal was cut and chipped apart. His hair clung to his face, moments passing where he’d need to blink repeatedly or pinch himself just to keep himself awake and his vision straight. He had resigned himself to the weakest abilities he could muster, and it was still enough to leave it winded. Still, he was left with a few pathetic-looking strips of metal that could work as lockpicks.

He crept over to the door, slowly starting to maneuver his hands. The first lockpick snapped instantly, causing him to swear under his breath. He messed with the next, making a bit more progress, before it snapped as well, leaving half of it wedged inside of the lock. He tried to slide it out with his nails, fumbling before it clattered to the ground. He tensed up, eyes widening as his Third Eye scanned around to see if there were any direct threats around.

Nothing.

He took a deep breath, before clicking in the third, this time trying to be slow and careful like he had been the first time Morgana had taught him to pick locks. There was a click, as the handle turned, and he was able to slowly edge the door open. He peeked his head through, slowly crawling out before getting up to his feet. He looked around the darkened hallway, trying to get his bearings. His eyes flashed again, as his Third Eye focused on a room at the very end of the hallway. Two figures, both weak. He made his way over, carefully, before slowly opening the door.

He almost threw up.

Two women, laying there both in a terrible state. The first body was of a young woman with blue hair. She was dressed nicely, a tie around her neck and suit-jacket, with a hat. Her eyes were rolled into the back of her head, dripping with an ink-like substance that he could only relate to the Okumura mental shutdown. Her mouth trembled, hoarse words dribbling out every few seconds. The light of the hallway reached her form, and she immediately recoiled, curling into a ball. Liquid trailed out the edge of her mouth, starting to pool around her face.

“Mon… ster…” She spat out, nails starting to scrape against the floor, blood starting to trail from the tips. He took a step back. What had Kirijo and her team done to her? He looked over to the other body, a familiar mop of red hair covering their face. He took a cautious step forwards once again, lifting up her head, before immediately dropping it with a yell.

Kirijo.

He recognized the face, but it was different. Thinner, lifeless, with the same blank, oozing eyes like the blue-haired woman. Unlike the other woman, this one showed no signs of life. He picked up her wrist, feeling for a pulse. Seconds passed before the faintest beat throbbed against his fingertips. This was the worst kind of suffering. Entirely unnatural, but stuck between some realm of life and death. Her already thin fingers were practically skeletal, before he felt them slowly wrap around his wrist.

“...Sorry… Akihi…ko... every… one… please… forgi..ve… mm...” She moaned. She convulsed, spitting violently on his leg. A dark, viscous liquid stained his sneakers. He recoiled, before frowning. If this was Kirijo, who was the woman that he had seen earlier? Something wasn’t right. His curiosity was starting to get the better of him, and all thoughts of escape faded in favor of getting to the bottom of everything. If this was happening to people, then his team was running into danger. He couldn’t let that happen to him.

He walked over to the blue-haired woman, peeling off her suit-jacket and wrapping it around him, snagging the hat as well. He wrapped the jacket around his waist for later. It wouldn’t be that great of a disguise, but he wasn’t planning on getting spotted that often anyways. He backed out of the room, leaving the door open. He couldn’t just let these horrors get locked away. Maybe Sanada-san would find them. “I’m sorry.” He whispered quietly with a bow, before turning back to face the hallway. He looked around, noticing a security camera pointed right at him.

Shit.

He’d need to be fast. If they didn’t already report his escape, then they would have soon. He looked around, finding a vent nearby on the ceiling. That could work. “Kelpie.” He whispered, sprinting under the vent, before casting a Garu spell on it, a gust of wind shooting up and knocking the grate over it, and then repeating the spell to give him a little bit more height as he jumped up, grabbing onto the edge of the vent and pulling himself upwards with a grunt. He paused, taking time to pant and catch his breath, before starting to crawl his way through.

The passages through the vents seemed to take forever, as he scrambled his way through. The only thing he could confirm was that ‘up’ was good, and the more voices he heard meant that he was finding a closer path to society. He stopped as he heard a few guards converge around the last vent opening he passed, holding his breath.

“I heard word that we’ve got an intruder loose in the building.”

“Seriously? Ugh, I thought they were saving that shit for tomorrow.”

“Quit whining. Apparently this kid is dangerous. Keep an eye on the vents and everything, and let us know if you see someone suspicious.”

Shit. So they were on the lookout for him now. He slowly tried to make progress forwards, not breathing until he was sure the guards were gone. The vents were cramped, and definitely made oxygen seem like a commodity. It wasn’t like this in the Metaverse. Then again, he had only spent a total of a small fraction of his ‘career’ crawling through vents in the Metaverse.

He scooted his way through, before the vents hit a direct vertical spike. He would need to leave this set of vents and find another way through. He had just been lucky that the vents had taken him this far. He backed up, finding an exit, checking for any guards before breaking out and hitting the ground with a thud. He quickly stood up, looking around, before slipping on the jacket and putting on the hat. He took a step forward…

“Hey!”

Damn it.

He didn’t turn around, tilting the hat further down to cover his face. A guard ran up next to him. “Man, I heard you were personally called here, Shirogane-san, but this is great! It’s an honor to meet you!”

What? This guy thought he was somebody else? This could be an issue. He didn’t respond, simply shrugging. The guard continued talking. “Man, it’s great to finally meet the first Detective Prince. I mean, that Akechi guy is interesting, but you can’t beat the greats, eh? My daughter loves you. Posters all over the place. You’re a real inspiration.”

Wait. Detective Prince? So, Shirogane as in Shirogane Naoto? His mind flashed back to the blue-haired woman he had seen in the dark room. That had to have been her. She had probably been murdered because she had learned too much. “I… uh…” He sputtered. “Sorry, can’t talk. Maybe later.” He quickly said, starting to power walk away.

“Ah, I get it. You’re probably doin’ some important detective stuff.” The guard chuckled. “Oh, wait! There’s somethin’ different. Did you cut your hair? Get taller? Hah! Look at me, I’m like a detective too!” The guard laughed.

Ren broke into a sprint, as the guard stood there with a blank expression on his face, before rolling his eyes. “Man, those detective-types are all weirdos.”

This definitely wasn’t going to work. It didn’t feel right to pretend to be a dead person, first off, but he also couldn’t fool the entire building that he was Shirogane Naoto. There was also the fact that some guards' first assumption upon seeing him in a suit was to assume he was a woman. A masculine-presenting woman, sure, but a woman nonetheless. 

“Well… no time to be insecure about that, I guess...” He mumbled.

He continued to wander along the corridors, making an attempt to stay out of sight, before something dawned on him.

What exactly was his plan to get more information? It wasn’t like he was going to stumble across a laptop or something. He stopped in his tracks, musing to himself, before he felt a hand grip his shoulder, practically locking him in place.

“Hey, you. What the fuck are you doing in my girlfriend's clothes?” Rumbled the taller man, as Ren slowly looked backward, staring eye to eye with a menacing-looking man with a scar across his brow, and a nose piercing.

...Damn it.

* * *

* * *

Kanji had been extremely happy when he heard a guard talking about meeting ‘Naoto’, so his disappointment was immeasurable when he wandered the halls and didn’t see the love of his life, but some lanky teenager in a small suit-jacket and Naoto’s hat. He gripped the kid by the shoulder, frowning. He squinted, before it finally dawned on him. “Hey… you’re that Mama-mia guy, ain’t you? Mama-mia Ren? Of the Phantom Thieves.”

The kid stared at him with a blank look. His face was sallow, eyes with dark bags under them, and hair that wanted to both stick to his head and puff outwards. In other words, a mess.

“Oh, yeah, I get it. I wouldn’t admit it if I was bein’ hunted either. Listen to me though, I’m on your side. Or uh, Naoto was, but she disappeared. And now here you are, in her clothes.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “...Did you see her?”  
The kid- Ren- seemed to tense up, before looking downcast. “...I’m so sorry.” He whispered. Kanji’s eyes widened.

“...C’mon, I’ll get you some tea, and then we can find a safe place to talk.”

About fifteen minutes later, the two of them were sitting on buckets in a janitorial closet, teacups in hand, as Ren tried to explain what he saw. Kanji sat quietly, listening to everything that was happening, not exactly sure how to react. He was pissed off, yeah, but also horrified. Naoto was essentially dead, and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. That, stacked on top of the fact that Mitsuru had been… replaced? Body-snatched? It was too confusing. Too scary. He was glad Naoto's theory was right, he just didn't want to find out like this.

“I’m sorry.” Ren repeated. Kanji shook his head.

He sniffed, rubbing at his eyes a bit. “Nah, don’t apologize. You didn’t do anythin’ wrong. I’m bettin’ that Naoto found out something she wasn’t supposed to, and Evil-rijo wanted to squash it before it got out.” He looked down, sighing. “...She’s a hell’uva lot braver than I am, that’s for sure.”

Ren seemed confused. “Uh… sorry, but backing up for a moment. ‘Evil-rijo’?”

“Well, it’s obviously not the real Mitsuru, right? So we need to find somethin’ else to call her, so I wanted to coin a nickname for ‘er.”

Ren shrugged, before taking another sip of tea. “So… you’re not going to turn me in?”

“I wasn’t before, and now that I know what I know? No fuckin’ way! I gotta make sure you get to your friends and get the hell outta here. Naoto had put some sorta faith into your guys, and I’m not lettin’ that be in vain.” He stood up, gesturing for Ren to follow behind. He peeked his head out the closet, as Yukari passed by, stopping and staring at him strangely.

“...Good afternoon, Kanji-san…?” Yukari greeted, not exactly sure how to react. Kanji laughed.

“Oh, uh, G’oornin’! I mean g’afternoon? Good afternoon! Takeba-san! How’s it going? I was just looking for extra paint to uh… paint a bowl! I’m making a vase. I mean a bowl. Okay, bye!” He walked back inside the closet.

“Aight. Change of plans. You stay here until tomorrow, and then I transport you to your friends. You leave, I show the rest of my team what happened to Naoto and Kirjo, and we fight Evil-rijo and win, and you get to ride off into the sunset. Got it?”

Ren had a look that showed that, while he didn’t really like the plan, he didn’t seem to want to argue either. Kanji took it. “Aight, I’m going to cook you some decent food. Teddie’s been bragging about throwin’ cheap soba at you for days. How d’you feel about curry? I found a new recipe I was planning on tryin’ out.”

Ren’s eyes seemed to turn the size of dinner plates, as he frantically nodded in excitement. Kanji smiled, before exiting the closet. “A’ight, hang on right there. You’ll be feeling so full, it’ll be insane!”

* * *

Maya found herself back at the destroyed park site. She wasn’t sure why she kept coming back here. Maybe she had just found herself fascinated that the kids could let out that amount of raw power. 

...Maybe she was afraid of the kids being able to let out that much raw power.

Her own memories of the ‘Other Side’ were… spotty at best, but she remembered vaguely traveling alongside Lisa and Eikichi while they were teenagers as well. They had adapted to the field of battle so quickly, figuring out the nuances of changing and summoning Personas like it was second nature. But at the same time… it wasn’t fair. Teenagers weren’t supposed to be the ones saving the world. Well, nobody deserved to. She remembered Jun. The pain he went through, his mind twisted and turned inside-out until he was nothing more than a puppet. 

Joker.

It had to be more than a coincidence that the Phantom Thieves’ leader shared the same codename. And worryingly so. If this Joker wasn’t a madman like Sudou, but an innocent teenager like Jun-kun, then where was he fated to end up in the future?

Maya grimaced. She didn’t want to know.

Jun wasn’t the only one though.

Her mind raced back to her conversation with her other self. 

Particularly her pointed comment about Tatsuya.

Suou Tatsuya was a walking contradiction. Starting from his appearance, his youth-filled (and some would say handsome) features were riddled with guilt and pain that seemed to age him years, despite being the youngest out of their group. Heavy brown eyes that would never make contact. Lips seemingly pressed into a permanent scowl. The bright red biker suit hiding whatever scars he had been slowly accumulating. 

She thought back to the time when he had asserted he was going to leave for the ‘Other Side’. Sacrifice his freedom so that everyone else could live in peace. It was almost embarrassing how desperate Maya felt, screaming for him to take her with him. 

She blushed slightly. She remembered that he smiled and came in close for an embrace. The moment was intimate. Short. Before he suddenly knocked her out.

By the time she had come to, he was long gone. 

She wondered how he was. If he was even still alive. The ‘Other Side’ was a desolate wasteland, destroyed by Nyarlathotep. She shouldn’t even be hoping about his survival, given how unlikely it was. But…

She wasn’t going to let those kids end up like Tatsuya.

She was going to give it her all in protecting them. She wasn’t going to fail them. Not like Jun-kun, not like Tacchan. She was going to make sure those kids had a happy ending. An ending where they could all live their lives in peace, and never have to worry about ‘Personas’ or ‘Demons’ or ‘Shadows’ ever again. 

No matter what.

* * *

Yu wandered into the kitchen, looking around curiously. He had smelled something good. Not like Kirijo’s hired chefs were bad, but this was probably the closest thing that smelled like Inaba. So, he was pleasantly surprised when he saw Kanji singing to himself, moving around the kitchen with a grace that would have most people confused unless they knew the man personally.

“Shout friends~! Somethin’, somethin’, fe~elings~♪ Ring bells~♪ Blah, blah, dun-nah-nah-nah~! Somethin’ somethin’ True Stor~y!”

Yu rapped his knuckles against the counter. “Yo, Kanji.”

The menacing man screamed, practically dropping the curry powder he was carrying over, barely catching it with one hand. “Ah! Fuck! Oh, senpai. It’s just you.” He wiped his brow, successfully transporting the curry powder. “You can’t scare me like that, man.”  
“Sorry, sorry.” Yu chuckled, walking over. “I didn’t realize we were allowed to cook here. I could have saved so much money instead of eating out every night.”

Kanji laughed, sheepishly, as he walked over to grab some carrots. “Honestly, I dunno if we are. I just kinda yelled at the staff to GTFO, and then started cookin’. I’m makin’ curry.”

Yu looked over his shoulder. “...For you and Naoto? I’m only seeing you measure out enough ingredients for two servings.” Kanji froze, eyes downcast, before shaking his head.

“...Help me cook, and I’ll make some for you too. And then we gotta talk.”

Despite that weird response from Kanji, cooking with him was actually a lot of fun. He knew that his whole ordeal with Social Links was over, but he definitely felt his bond with Kanji growing that moment. Especially since they made the kitchen into their own little concert hall, Yu glad that Kanji also didn’t know the lyrics to some of their favorite songs, so they could basically just scream nonsense as everything was getting boiled and cooked. It also seemed to help Kanji out of that brief funk he found himself in when Yu had mentioned Naoto earlier.

Eventually, the curry was finished, and Kanji handed Yu a plate while carrying two of his own. “Alright, let’s go to the supply closet!”

Yu was confused, wondering if Kanji had found some sort of animal inside the building and wanted to feed it. That did seem very ‘Kanji’ of him. And, well, the reality wasn’t too far from the truth.

Yu opened up the closet to stare at an incredibly tired looking Amamiya Ren.

“...Hey.” Ren said, warily staring at Yu, before Kanji gave the boy a reassuring nod.

“I’m Narukami Yu.” He introduced, holding out his hand for Amamiya to shake. Ren took his hand, before quickly retracting it. The boy’s eyes flashed, staring at Yu for a long moment, before smiling softly.

“You’re like me.” He said quietly. Kanji closed the door behind them, as they all sat crowded in the closet.

“...ME EAT YOU WHOLE?” Yu said, hopefully. Ren laughed out loud, taking one of the plates from Kanji.

“I am in your care.” The teenager replied. 

“Hah! I knew I could get someone to say it!” Yu said with a smile, as Kanji lined up some buckets for them to sit on. “It’s so lonely being the only Wild Card on the team, you know.”

Ren nodded. “I know exactly what that’s like. I’ve sent so many jokes in our group chat that nobody gets outside of ‘you summoned that Persona once’.”

“Mara joke?”

“Mara joke.”

“Aaaanyways- Senpai’s cool.” Kanji began. “He’s sympathetic to y’all’s cause too. He’s also just… really nice, and admirable, and I’m super glad that he’s on our side with this.”

Yu blushed a little, before rolling his eyes. “Man, Kanji. Talk about pressure. But, yeah, I’m with you. Just tell me everything that you know. Apparently Kanji says you have a great deal to tell me.”

Ren frowned, before he started to explain everything that he knew and saw, and everything that he talked with Kanji about prior as they ate their curry. A few minutes later, Yu was speechless, mortified, and desperately racking his brain for some sort of plan.

“Naoto was right. And we need Chie.” He said simply. “She’s the only one with direct contact to the Phantom Thieves, now. And… Kanji, I’m so sorry about--”

Kanji shook his head. “We can cry about it later. She, uh, wouldn’t want us wastin’ time with that, I don’t think. And Chie won’t be here until tomorrow, which means if we get to her, we’d be crunched on time.” Yu nodded, rubbing him on the back, before Ren put down his plate, burping. He had looked like he hadn’t had a decent meal in days. Especially since all of his meals had been Teddie going absolutely nuts with bargain bin soba.

“Thank you for your kindness.” Ren said simply, his voice shaking a bit. “I don’t know what I can do to repay you...”

“Just make it back to your friends safely. You just stay tight for tonight, and Kanji and I will see if we can get you some blankets to make it more comfortable.” Yu nodded, standing up alongside Kanji. “We’ll make this right, and stop Nega-Kirijo.”

Ren rolled his eyes, as Kanji frowned. “I dunno, Senpai, I think Evil-rijo is better.”

“Eh, probably.” He turned to Ren with a smile. “You can trust us, right? Us Wild Cards gotta stick together.”

“...Yeah.” Ren said, “Thank you, Narukami-san.”


	24. Life Will Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Heist Begins. 
> 
> Ann and Ryuji search for Ren. Akihiko faces reality.
> 
> Teddie makes a crucial mistake. Yosuke takes a stand.
> 
> Haru gets Maya'd.
> 
> It's time for the final confrontation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a HEFTY chapter. It could honestly probably be cut in half. But, y'know, it was hefty in the original and it's even heftier now.
> 
> One more chapter left! 
> 
> (and probably a short epilogue but that doesn't count)
> 
> Either way, we're quickly closing in on the finale of Ground Zero!
> 
> Still, I know that 100k+ words is a LOT to read, and I greatly appreciate the people who are sticking through this fic and reading it! Although we're not done yet, so I'll save my 'thank yous' for chapter 25.
> 
> See you then!
> 
> \- Wiggityfresh

Katsuya Suou had always strived to be on the right side of the law, and if not the right side of the law, the right side of one’s moral compass. Justice was something that didn’t always mean sticking to the books he had spent years on in school, or the time he had spent in the police academy. These kids were fighting for their own brand of justice, and the justice of their friend. And he needed to admire that. Even if he did have some issues with the logistics of the situation. Apparently most of their heists had been in an entirely new universe, and they weren’t nearly prepared for an actual heist in the ‘real world’ as they had so eloquently put it.

This was incredibly apparent when Takamaki ended up tripping over her own whip as she tried to put on her leather boots. Which, while incredibly impressive in its own right, wasn’t very promising in the long run.

The kids weren’t even that well-trained. They could summon, sure, but not effectively. Too much exertion, and they’d be drained. But, this was supposed to be an in-and-out mission, and most of their combatants had been rendered as allies thanks to Satonaka-san’s connections.

Still… he was extremely worried.

He felt a light squeeze on his wrist, looking over at Maya. She gave him a weak smile, before clearing her throat. “Kids, are you sure this is the best way to go about this? I won’t stop you if you say yes, but we might need to take more time to prepare.” He smiled, mouthing a small ‘thank you’ towards her. He had noticed the kids had been a bit more apprehensive towards him than his companions. It was definitely because of his police background, but they had been more open and receptive towards Maya- so, she had taken it within her own hands to voice his opinions through herself, and they received it relatively well. Perhaps it was her attitude.

Scratch that, it was definitely her attitude. Her smile could calm a raging lion.

“No, no, we’re fine.” Takamaki insisted, rubbing her side as Sakamoto helped her up. “We can totally do this! After all, Joker is counting on us!” Takamaki wasn’t a very good actress, so it was incredibly easy to see her lack of confidence in the mission. That being said, she did seem incredibly serious about saving… Joker. Of all the codenames, did they have to use that one? He grimaced, glancing over at Maya. She clearly had some deep-set hesitations about saving ‘Joker’ as well, although they were both trying to remind themselves that they were trying to save Amamiya. Not Sudou. An innocent, not a murderer.

Kitagawa, in all of his wisdom, noticed their reactions. “...Is everything right, Amano-sensei? Suou-sensei?” He rumbled. “You seem perturbed.”

“Just considering the irony of your leader's codename. That’s all.” Katsuya replied, “We’ve come in contact with a Joker in our past as well…” He shrugged, as if considering the situation much less important than it actually was. Yusuke raised an eyebrow, before shrugging and returning to putting in on his mask, either disinterested in pushing further or simply satisfied with the answer he received.

Niijima, however, wasn’t.

“Yeah, I did some research. Mainly just to background check you two, but I asked my Sis and looked at some old case files. Apparently there was a serial killer who went by the name ‘JOKER’. He was terrifying, relentless, and wore a paper bag over his head. He died under mysterious circumstances.”

Maya and Katsuya exchanged looks once more. Tatsuya.

Sakamoto’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit. Well, that’s just bad luck on our Jokers end. I swear, he’s nothin’ like that!”

“We have a good feeling you’re right.” Maya chuckled, shaking her head. “After all, Sudou didn’t have friends who were as dedicated to him like your Joker. It’s just… it gives us memories of a dark time.”

An uncomfortable silence hung over the group, before Maya clapped her hands together. “Kids, kids! We’re about to do a freaking movie heist! Perk up! Let’s think positive!” Everyone looked around, before the mood seemed to swell again, as if magic. Katsuya raised an eyebrow.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you had the ability to change hearts.”

Maya gave him a faux surprised look. “Oh, you didn’t know?” He rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair, before taking a deep breath.

“Well. No time like the present. Everyone ready?” He looked around at the practically legendary Phantom Thieves of Hearts. It was still shocking that they were a group of normal teenagers. They gossiped, texted, wasted time like it was their job, and yet underneath all of their masks, he could see such resolve it was almost scary. Somewhere, they had become hardened like his younger brother, yet somehow they managed to maintain a sense of cheerfulness.

Perhaps it was because they had started and ended everything together, instead of attempting to act by themselves.  
Sakura stumbled downstairs, holding up a pair of headphones with the Phantom Thieves signature logo on them. “Ta-da~a! The one and only pair of P-Phones! It either stands for ‘Phantom’ or ‘Persona’, I haven’t decided yet. Anyways, we get these to Ren, and he’ll be able to summon with no stress! Or, less stress.” Takamaki took them from her, looking them over.

“Wow, these are great, Futaba! Ryuji and I’ll get them to Ren! Don’t worry!”

The cat hopped up on LeBlanc’s counter, and began one of his long speeches. He and Maya stood there complacently. If Morgana was speaking, that usually meant that they weren’t the targets of his ‘wisdom’, so they had generally resigned to just watching the reactions of the other Thieves as they listened intently. Eventually he was finished, and Sakamoto- ‘Skull’- took up the mantle.

“Uh, I know this is gonna be really effin’ tough without Joker. The guy could use any Persona in the book, and now he’s locked up. He was also probably our best battle strategist outside of Queen. Uh… We’re also goin’ up against some apparently really effin’ strong Persona-users, if Chie was bein’ honest, but she also managed to convince some of them to be on our side. Also, apparently Risette will be there? So, uh, keep that in mind. I’m not all sappy like Mona is, but uh, one last thing to remember. We might not be as strong as we was back in the Metaverse, but we all got some upgraded Personas, and those Personas are like carryin’ a part of Ren with us, right?”

The group nodded, as Sakamoto raised his pipe in the air. “Aight! Let’s kick some ass!”

* * *

She stared up at the Kirijo building, the countless floors practically taunting her. Maya took a deep breath, clutching her stuffed rabbit in her hands, practically wringing it out. “Okay, Katsuya. Remember the plan. Don’t mess up the plan. We need to get Ren out of here.” She shoved the rabbit back in her purse, before gripping Katsuya’s hand.

”Are you all set, Maya? You’ve got Mona with you, right?”

“I’m all set!” Morgana replied from the bag slung over Katsuya’s shoulder.

“He just meowed something, so I’m going to assume that’s a yes.” Katsuya mumbled, before kissing Maya on the cheek. “Don’t panic. Just be yourself. Or, you know, the distracting version of yourself that this mission requires you to be.”

She chuckled, leaning against him. “Yeah, no pressure, right? Just commiting a B&E on one of the largest companies in the world.”

“If you act serious for one second, they’ll realize you’re an intelligent, capable woman and instantly see through our plan.”  
“Don’t even joke about that! God, what if-”

“Maya. Let’s think positive.”

“...Hah. Hearing you say that definitely confirms that I’m stressed. Alright, let’s do this. Alpha Team is going in.” They strolled inside, immediately heading towards one of the help desks that Futaba mapped out as being one of the closest routes to the security cameras. Maya leaned against the desk. “Hello? Good afternoon. My name is Amano Maya, and I’m here for an interview with Kirijo Mitsuru? I’m writing a piece about ‘The Struggles of Young Entrepreneurs’, and Kirijo is one of the youngest entrepreneurs I’ve heard of. I mean--”

The bored looking man at the desk furrowed his brow. “Kirijo-san can’t speak right now. She’s… busy.”

“Busy with what? She’s not too good for the media, is she? I just saw her on the news last week! You can’t be serious. Are you serious?”

Katsuya rolled his eyes, before slowly lowering his bag to the ground, the black cat skittering out. Several of the security instantly whipped into action, grabbing several batons and attempting to chase the cat out of the building. Maya grimaced. Security was going this nuts over a cat? How paranoid was Kirijo? "I mean... this cat is different, but she wouldn't have known that..." She whispered to herself, as Morgana made a break for the surveillance room, before being scooped up by Chie.

“Gotcha! Sorry, loose cat. I’m going to take it in the back so it doesn’t cause any trouble. I mean, what are the odds of a cat getting in he-”

“Just move!” Morgana hissed.

“I can’t understand you but I can hear your urgency- Mr. Cat-sa~an!” She opened up the door to the surveillance room, the worker manning the cameras turning around with a start.

“Oh, Satonaka-san. Don’t burst in like that. Kirijo-san didn’t tell me you would be coming around this way, is there some sort of--” He was cut off with a swift chop to the neck, before quickly shuffling around him and sitting down at the console.

“What do I do? What do I do?” Chie asked.

”Mona’s collar has a flash drive on it. You should see a blue USB port. Plug it in, and then I’ll do my thing. There are about a dozen different surveillance stations, I just need access to this one and we’ll be in the clear!”

Chie plucked the USB off of Morgana’s collar, before sliding it into the port. “Alright! Man, I feel like a real character in a heist movie! You know, in movies like this, the heist people are always the good guys.”

“Man, I hope so…” Morgana muttered.”

* * *

”So… what exactly is our plan again? Let the Phantom Thieves get up, and then hope the other Shadow Operatives don’t beat them into next week?” Rise muttered, her mind ringing throughout the Investigation Team’s head with Kouzeon’s power. ”Yu, I’m still not comfortable with double-crossing Kirijo-san..”

Yu shook his head, pacing down one of the hallways. “It’s not really Kirijo. Long story. Would have told you last night, but...”

”Apparently you were really busy in a supply closet. Hopefully not with some of the female staff.”

“You know I wouldn’t do that. I was with Kanji.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any more comfortable! And that aside, what if the Shadow Operatives find out we’re betraying them? Wouldn’t they notice we’re acting weird?”

“I’m running patrol, aren’t I? Looking out for any pesky Phantom Thieves that try to come here. Besides, you guys slapped sensors all over the place, and upped security by 200% or something.” He opened up the closet that Ren was hiding in, checking to see if the teenager was okay. The shaggy-haired boy gave him a thumbs-up, as Yu moved over to sit next to him for a moment.

”300%. Mitsuru- or… ‘Mitsuru’ said so in this morning’s briefing. I really hope you’re right, Yu…”

“Me too. Hey, Rise, if Kouzeon is putting too much stress on you, hop on the radio line, I’m going to bug Yosuke.” He unclipped a walkie talkie from his waist. “This is Kingpin to Trashbin, over. You ready for this, partner? Over.”

Yosuke’s voice crackled out the other end. “You bet! Uh, over. Although why does my codename have to be Trashbin? Over. I feel like I got shafted in this, over.”

“Because Chie picked it, Yosuke. Also, this is a public line, so please stop flirting.” Yukiko’s voice chimed in. “This is fun, though! I feel like some kind of yakuza tough or something! Do you think I could get a tattoo?”

“First of all, ‘Princess’, I feel like us acting as security makes us the opposite of yakuza. Over.”

“You don’t need to say ‘over’ after everything, Trashbin. We know when you’ve finished talking.” Rise quipped, hopping onto a more efficient form of communication.

“Woah… Idol-chan is so cool! Take that, Trashbin!” Teddie chuckled.

“Wow, look who’s all high and mighty since she was given the orders to summon her Persona without a splitting headache like Ted. Could you suck up to Kirijo some more and tell her to give us all permission to turn down the voltage on the damn headphones?” Kanji snarled, leading against the wall on the floor he was supposed to be patrolling.

“What’s your deal? First of all, she only let me modify mine since Kouzeon doesn’t have as much combat potential, so it takes less concentration or something to maintain. Oh, wait… hang on.” Rise mumbled. “Kouzeon is picking up something approaching the Kirijo Building. Fast. It’s a vehicle! Or… a Persona? And two unknown persons! Can we get some people in the main lobby!?”

“Isn’t Chie down there?” Yosuke asked.

“Can Chie handle what’s coming? Why’d we even shove her in the lobby anyways?”

“Because she was late, and the lobby sucks.” Kanji mumbled over the radio line, the rest of the Investigation Team wincing at the intense amount of feedback he somehow managed to produce.

Yosuke groaned. “Why’re we even worried? It’s a Phantom Thief. If they’re friends with Chie, then they’re not going to fight. Duh. The most they’ll do is put on a little show for the S.O’s, and then Chie will like… Iunno, leave to get a beef bowl or something.”

“Shut up, Yosuke!” Chie’s voice came through the radio. “I’m not just going to ditch the building! Although, I did hear about this place called ‘Ore no Beko’ and…”

Yu turned off his radio, putting it to the side. He frowned, shaking his head. He knew deep down he was making the right choices, but it still didn’t feel right to try and pull one over on the Shadow Operatives. His friends' bonds were incredibly important, and he couldn’t help but feel like he was putting unneeded tension on those bonds with this entire mission. He hoped that Ren was right about Kirijo- that Naoto was right. That would make all of this worth it, and once this was over, he could try and find a way to help Naoto and the real Kirijo-san. 

He just needed to have faith. But… well, it was a bit hard.

He felt a nudge on the arm.

“You’re worried about your friends.” Ren said, simply. Yu nodded. “...Me too. They’re about to do all of this for me, but what if they get hurt? If I was stronger then...”

Yu chuckled. “We’re strong enough. What’s the whole deal with Wild Cards, we hold a ton of faces within us? Guess we just gotta find our bravest one and put it on.” He held up his own pair of Persona-summoning headphones, closing his eyes. “I haven’t spoken to Igor in a while, now that I think about it. I wonder…”

His radio buzzed to life. Rise’s voice coming out of it frantically. “Okay, that Persona-thing is heading straight for Chie! Since we don’t really have to have a solid plan, maybe now would be a good time to think of one?”

“I’m heading down to check on her anyway. Sit tight.” Yu said, standing up before putting on the headphones. “I’ll make sure your friends don’t get hurt.” He winked, before quickly exiting the room.

* * *

”I’ve got control of the cameras! They’re stuck in a loop. This is all you, Queen! Make a splash in that pool! And by pool, I mean lobby.”

Queen tucked a strand of dyed hair behind her ear, as she shot forwards on Anat’s ‘bike’ form. Fox gripped at her back, holding on for dear life as they shot towards the front door of the lobby, shattering the glass before doing donuts in the center. She wasn’t afraid of crashing. Johanna and Anat were both perfectly in-tune with her mind, which meant that driving was going to be a cakewalk. They both hopped off.

“I am Queen of the Phantom Thieves!” She yelled. While she was worried about people recognizing her voice, Ann and Mona’s incredible advice had just been ‘talk deeper’. As if that would help. “Civilians, do not be alarmed. We are going to need you all to exit! Now.”

Fox nodded, holding up his model assault rifle, and grabbing Maya. “I have now taken this random woman hostage. She and her compatriot must stay here, everybody else will leave, or else they will be hurt. We are simply going to stop the corruption of Kirijo, and then be on our way.”

The initial panic of the motorcycle bursting in had faded, before instantly ramping up as Yusuke pressed the model gun against Maya’s head. The civilians screamed and sprinted out of the building, as Chie leaped over one of the desks.

“Halt, Phantom Thieves! I’ll never allow you to meet Mitsuru! I’m going to stop you, right here, right now!” She threw a kick at nothing, shouting.

Queen pointed her model revolver towards Chie. “Then you support injustice, and shall fall by our hands! We mean no harm to anybody- I can not stress that enough for any of the cameras pointed at us- we only mean harm to corruption and the cruelness of humanity!”

The two of them continued their long-winded, faux-heroic banter for a while longer, as Yu made it to the lobby, readying his headphones. The white-haired man shrugged, sliding them over his head. “So, are we supposed to fake fight, or what? Like, Kirijo can’t see what we’re doing down here, I think.” He smiled. “No reason to stop the theatrics though. They’re fun.” His expression grew a bit dire. “Oh, and I have something really important to tell you about Amamiya and Kirijo.” He added, as Chie nodded. Queen looked towards Fox.

“Stay put. I’m heading to Kirijo.” She said, hopping back on Anat and bolting towards the stairwell.

”Okay, we have a standstill in the lobby, which means we can easily clear an exit path for Ren. How’s Team Skull?”

* * *

“Kind of sweaty, but fine. Queen and Fox’s distraction let us sneak in through the back.” He pulled out his phone. “Based on the map you gave us, Ren is… really deep underground. Like, three stories. We’re gonna need to take an elevator for this.”

“This costume was not made for stairs.” Ann agreed. “Besides, up and down. That’s two trips in like, a fraction of the time!”

They wandered around the back, knowing by the dramatic shouting where not to go, before reaching an elevator. Ryuji punched the button, before gesturing for Ann to enter, and following behind. The elevator doors slowly began to close as Ann punched in the four digit code.

“Which floor?” He asked.

“Iunno, if he’s three stories down, then maybe the button that’s the third-most down from us?”

“...Makes sense.” He punched the button, before hearing a sudden crunching noise come from the elevator doors. The two thieves watched as a pale white hand gripped the doors, holding them open for a few moments. A figure glared at them, as Ann and Ryuji stared at a robotic girl adorned with several weapons.

“Are you the Phantom Thieves?” Aigis asked.

“If we say no, will you leave us alone?” Ann asked.

Aigis shook her head. “I want to clear up a few misunderstandings. While I am not entirely sympathetic to your cause,” She pulled the doors open, standing next to the two Thieves before pushing the ‘B3’ button. The elevator began to rumble downwards, slowly. “...I realize I have been manipulated. So, this is my case for redemption. You will take your leader and leave, understand?” 

The two of them nodded quickly, before Ryuji looked towards the top of the elevator. “...You hear something?”

Ann folded her arms. “No, why?”

“Your friend is correct.” Aigis said, lips pursing. “It seems as if a presence is approaching us. Brace yourselves.”

Right on cue, one of the top panels of the elevator was ripped off, a dark viscous tendril shooting downwards and plunging into the back of Aigis’ neck. Her body went slack as the two thieves screamed, Ann wildly waving her whip around in a panic, as Ryuji frantically swung his pipe upwards. The living weapon slowly began to straighten back up in a rigid motion, like a puppet on a string. Something was clearly different. Her eyes flashed a manic yellow, as several weapons began to engage. Ryuji gulped.

“Uh. You good, Robo-chick?”

Aigis grinned. She spoke, her voice darkened and distorted. Inhuman. _“Never better. Truly, you petty Thieves haven’t disappointed me. Unfortunately, exterminating you has become my main goal.”_

Aigis immediately flew into action, grabbed Ryuji by the throat and slammed him into a wall, before being hit by a burst of fire from Ann. She grabbed them both, slamming them together like ragdolls. A blue light flared from her, before an angelic figure rose forth.

“Helel! Morning St-”

Ann threw her hands forwards “Tentarafoo!”

Aigis stumbled backwards, grabbing at her head as the Persona faded away. Ryuji slammed the pipe against Aigis’ face as her grip weakened, the mechanical girl letting out a guttural scream. The tendril gripping onto her neck flashed, as dark, hellish energy seemed to surround her. Ann and Ryuji screamed louder.

The elevator dinged as it reached it’s floor.

“Get that tendril thing!” Ann yelled. “I think it’s controlling her!”

“No time for that!” Ryuji yelled, grabbing Ann by the arm and pulling her towards the opening elevator doors, as Ann swung her arm towards Aigis, her Persona appearing with a white-hot flash. 

“Dormina!” The model yelled, as Aigis whipped her head towards the two Thieves, reaching out with an inhuman roar before suddenly dropping to her knees, asleep.

Ann and Ryuji dove out, before he summoned his own Persona. “Seiten Taisei! Zionga!” A surge of electricity shot through the elevator, as the door slammed and locked shut, stopping in its tracks.

They reached the final hallway, looking for the room their leader was held in. The two of them jogged for a moment, panic in their eyes.

“What the HELL was that, Ryuji?!” Ann said, her face stricken with panic.

“I have no effin’ clue! Nobody said nothin’ about death tentacles!” He replied,  
They continued down the hallway, before Ann pointed out one of the doors lining the hall. “There! That’s the room where we saw Ren through the glass, so the next one has to be where-”

She was interrupted as a white-haired man stepped out, rolling his shoulders back and sliding on some boxing gloves. “...So, are you guys the ones that are here to change my heart? I mean, I don’t know how you Thieves communicate, but your leader told me you got the message.”

There was an incredibly long beat of silence, before Ryuji decided to attempt to clear the air with a well-intentioned ‘what the hell’, before Ann elbowed him in the ribs, watching as he doubled over before she took control of the conversation. She pointed at him, striking what she considered an ‘extremely intimidating’ pose. 

“Ye~es! That is exactly why we, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, are here! To take your, yes- your, heart! We just need you to take us to our leader, and then we can finally do the whole heart-stealing magic!” She said, earnestly trying to sound convincing, and failing at literally every aspect of it. Akihiko rubbed his chin, before shaking his head.

“No can do, your leader escaped.” He said, simply.

Ann blinked. “Uh, what?”

“He ran away like, yesterday. We can confirm he’s still in the building, but he’s hiding pretty well. Guess that’s typical of a Phantom Thief, though.”

“That’s our Ren-Ren, I guess.” Ryuji coughed, standing up. “Well, shit. Now what do we do?”

His question was soon answered as he was knocked to the very end of the hallway by an extremely fast moving object, screaming as Aigis slammed him into the ajar back room, starting to pummel him mercilessly. Ann screamed, sprinting past Akihiko and over to the two of them. The dark tendril stretching across the length of the hallway. Ann slashed at it with her whip, pulling and tugging it, attempting to break it. Akihiko watched for a moment, before Ann turned to yell at him.

“This thing is controlling your friend! If you want a change of heart, help me already!”

Akihiko shrugged, before effortlessly summoning his Persona, watching as the blade of Caesar sliced the tendril in half with ease.

“That’s all?” He asked. Ann rolled her eyes, before starting to jog back towards Ryuji.

And then Ryuji began screaming for a different reason.

“Holy shit! That’s a dead body! Those are dead bodies! God- fuck- Ziodyne!” Lightning seemed to flash as Aigis was booted from the room, her own eyes wide in apparent shock at what they had discovered. The blonde weapon was limp on the ground, as Akihiko and Ann caught up.

“Wait, we haven’t even fought.” Akihiko asked, “...Does that mean I don’t get my heart changed?”

“Uh, I don’t think so.” Ann said. “You don’t seem like that bad a guy. Most actual bad guys don’t ask to have their hearts changed. Means you’re too lucid to have a Palace.” She fully opened the door to the dark room, revealing everything inside. Ryuji pressed against the wall- profusely bleeding from Aigis’ assault, staring at two emaciated forms with a look of pure terror on his face.

“Holy shit… it’s like what happened with Okumura, but they’re still alive…” He whispered.

Akihiko stepped inside. He stared at Mitsuru’s body for a moment, eyes narrowing, before slowly picking her up. Her bony fingers gripped onto whatever fabric it could, clinging onto him like a parasite. “...I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. It seems like we’ve been tricked.” He said, quietly. He held Mitsuru for a moment, his shoulders tensing up. “...I can’t believe it. How long? How long did I leave you like this…?” He shuddered, teeth gritting together. 

“I’m such a moron!” He yelled, turning to face the Phantom Thieves. “I’ve been wasting my time with you and your little team, while Mitsuru was suffering!” His eyes were furious, the ominous blue light flashing within them that usually preceded a summoning. “I…” The light faded, as he looked back down at Mitsuru. Aigis slowly stumbled back to her feet, as the two Thieves tensed up. She stared at both of them, her eyes back to their natural blue.

“...What… is going on here?” She looked around before seeing the form clenched in Akihiko’s hands, and Naoto’s limp body on the ground. “...Oh.” Her eyes went downcast. “...I never thought…” Her body shook for a moment, before her gaze snapped upwards. “I will rain hell upon our false Leader. I swear.” She growled.

Akihiko turned to the two Phantom Thieves. “I’m going to take Mitsuru out of the building, somewhere safe. We can fix this. One of you follow behind me with Shirogane-san. Aigis, you go to the Mitsuru that’s been bossing us around and handle it.” He commanded, starting to leave without a second glance. Ryuji picked up Naoto, before starting to limp behind.

“...You got this Ann? Robo-chick kinda kicked my ass. I’m… not gonna risk it much further.”

Ann looked over at Aigis, who was glaring upwards- presumably at the top floor. She nodded. “You sit back and recover, Ryuji. We’ll get to the bottom of this, and find Ren!” She winked, before walking over to the Anti-Shadow Weapon. Aigis sighed, closing her eyes.

“...We were played for fools. I should have realized something was wrong… we did realize something was wrong, but Shirogane-san and I were so involved with thinking a plan that avoided later consequences that we didn’t even consider who had been harmed prior.” She mumbled to herself, solemnly. “And even still, she isn’t to blame for my cruelty. I took things too far, and assisted in desecrating my team.”

Ann didn’t know how to respond. Her arms idly swung from side to side as she thought of what to possibly say to a robot to make it feel better. “...Well, maybe we can start making things right between everybody by kicking Anti-Kirijo’s butt?”

Aigis sighed. “I agree with that sentiment, but… Anti-Kirijo seems a bit childish of a name. I had been thinking of ‘Usorijou'.”

“Huh? But you can barely tell who we’re talking about then. Maybe just Kirijo-Two?” She suggested, as Aigis started heading for the stairs, running at a pace that was possible for Panther to keep up with, although it wasn’t easy.

“Whoever it is, and whatever we call it, we will show it what happens when we are tricked!” Aigis yelled, breaking into a sprint.

The two of them were stopped as the elevator doors opened again. This time, Ken came out, panting. “Wait! Sanada-san! Don’t fight…” He trailed off, looking at the scene. “Oh. Okay. So we’re all on the same page then?” He asked, calmly, before finally realizing the bodies in Ryuji and Akihiko’s arms, and taking a step backwards. 

“No way… Kirijo-san…”

Akihiko frowned. “Let’s go.”

Ken nodded, before suddenly stopping in his tracks. He lurched forwards, before the same dark, viscous, tendril-like forms began wrapping around him. Instead of with Aigis, they seemed to be starting to trace and cover his entire body like veins. His eyes rolled backwards, his mouth growing slack as dark puddles of… something began oozing out. Ken slowly reached for his Evoker in a rocky, inhuman movement, before violently shooting himself in the head. The form of Kala-Nemi burst forth, but even its movement was unnatural. 

“Ken…” Akihiko whispered. He slowly put down Kirijo, sliding into a fighting stance. “You all go. I’ll handle him. Quickly. I don’t know what’ll happen to him if he lets this… whatever… get ahold of him for too long.”

Ryuji put down Naoto, twirling his pipe. “Nah. I’ll back you up. It’ll go faster that way. ‘Aigis’ or whatever kicked some ass, but I feel like my chances of getting whooped are a lot less active with you by my side.” 

Ken growled, as two inky black vines shot from his arms. Ryuji blocked one with his pipe, knocking it away, as Akihiko grabbed the other one. His arms tensed as he yanked Ken forwards, before summoning Caesar and landing a sudden strike on the possessed boy, sending him flying backwards. He turned back towards Aigis and Ann, shouting.

“Go! We can’t hold Ken forever! Get moving!” 

Aigis nodded before suddenly pointing her weapons upwards, firing upwards and clearing a path straight up. She gestured for Ann to come closer, before suddenly scooping up the model in her arms, and nodding at Akihiko.

“Akihiko-san. We won’t let you down.” Before suddenly 

Akihiko nodded, before focusing back on Ken. He glanced over to Ryuji, smirking slightly. “Fighting alongside a Phantom Thief. Call me weird, but I’m getting a bit excited.”

Ryuji nodded with a grin. “Nah, I totally get you. Now, let’s kick some ass and save some lives!”

Akihiko grinned. “Lovin’ that drive, Thief!” He stanced up, a blue mist surrounding him as his Persona began to form. Ryuji did the same, one hand instinctively reaching for his mask.

“I won’t lose! Come, **Caesar**!”

“Beat ‘em down! **Seiten Taisei**!"

* * *

Ren couldn’t wait any longer. He found himself bursting out of the broom closet, and finding himself between a rock and a hard place. The Junes Bear and Hanamura had wandered down to the floor he was on to double-check Yu’s post. Kanji had wandered upwards with some cup noodles just to see if Ren was hungry. The Junes Bear spoke up, after a long beat of silence.

“Woah! There’s that Mama-mia guy that ate off the floor!” He screeched. Ren winced, closing himself back inside of the closet, before hearing the battle cry of: “I didn’t realize he was here! Although they did say he escaped, right?”

Yosuke shrugged, before waving idly at Ren. “Uh, technically we’re supposed to be capturing you, but it seems like everyone’s kind of ganging up against the Shadow Operatives, so you can just kind of… leave, if you want.”

Ren looked at the brown-haired man and the Junes Bear, before starting to turn around.

“Oh, hold it!” The Bear asked. “I have something important to ask him!”

Yosuke folded his arms. “Uh, can it wait until he’s gone?”

“C’mon, Yosuke. Mit-chan said he was strong, so I was just curious if he had a Perso-”

“Wait, Teddie, do you have those headphones on in your costume?”

“Yeah, why? We’re talking about his Person-AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!” 

Suddenly, the bear hunched over and began a long, stressful session of pained screaming. Ren slowly retreated towards the closet, as Hanamura found himself backing away from his former compatriot. The Junes Bear had decided to ditch the costume, but was still just as unsettling. His eyes flashed between what Ren could have assumed was a normal blue, a violent yellow, and a sickening black color, before the Junes Bear’s Persona slowly formed, and instantly began firing a barrage of ice, striking anything and everything.

“Teddie! Calm down!” Yosuke yelled, before getting slammed by a particularly powerful Bufudyne, sending him flying backwards towards Kanji, who caught his friend at the expense of the cup noodles.

There wasn’t a response from Teddie except more ice, the temperature in the hallway starting to plummet downwards. So, Kanji came up with the perfect solution. Hide himself, Ren, and Yosuke inside the closet until Teddie either forgot where they were, or got bored and left.

Once they were inside, Yosuke narrowed his eyes at Kanji. “...How long was Amamiya hiding in a closet?”

Kanji chuckled, shrugging. “Sorry, Yosuke-senpai. We didn’t want to turn him loose until his friends came to help him. Oh, and Naoto was right, Mitsuru is the bad guy, because she’s not really Mitsuru, she’s a… well, we don’t really know what Evil-rijo is.”

The brown-haired man groaned, hitting his head against the wall and sighing. “I can’t believe we actually got double-crossed. I was actually hoping that the Shadow Operatives wouldn’t be the bad guys.”

Kanji nervously rubbed the back of his head. Ren spoke up.

“I have a feeling that they aren’t all bad. Sanada-san wanted a chance of heart” He commented, before there was another loud crash from outside of the broom closet and Yosuke yelped, quickly pulling out a kunai.

“God, what the hell happened to Ted? It has to be those weird headphones, right? Jeez, Kanji- help me figure out what the hell to do with Ted.” Yosuke shouted, as the barrage of ice seemed to continue down the hallway, a chunk of it slamming into the door of the closet as Kanji’s eyes widened. “Speaking of, where the hell is she? Now isn’t the time for her to just skimp out on us--” He was quickly stopped by a punch to the face, as he was knocked against one of the shelves, several bottles of cleaning supplies toppling on top of him.

“Naoto is dead, asshole!” Kanji yelled. “Or, at least really close to it!” He paused, before suddenly taking a step back. “Oh- shit, I didn’t mean ta’ hit you- I’m just- god… damn it, thinkin’ about it has got me all on edge and Teddie is--”

“I...ow… don’t worry about it.” Yosuke sat up, stunned. “Wait, more importantly… Naoto’s what?”

“That fake Kirijo did something to the real Mitsuru and Naoto. They’re in some kind of painful trance. I’d say extremely close to death, if we’re not careful.” Ren explained.

Yosuke looked between the two of them, before putting away his kunai. “...You’re being serious, huh. I… was just-- I’m really sorry, dude.”

The larger man shook his head, standing up. “Whatever. Somethin’s up with those headphones, so we can’t use our Personas. We need to find a way to deal with Teddie, or else we’ll all be dead for real.” He picked up a bucket, before hearing the roar of an engine coming down the hallway. “...Wait, what the hell is that?”

The three guys paused, listening before slowly peeking out into the hallway. A young woman with short teal hair, dressed in post-apocalyptic biker gear shot past them, before slamming into Teddie, knocking him to the side. She circled around him, several boosts of incredibly hot nuclear fire emitting from her person, as Teddie flailed around, trying to keep up with her assault. A blast of ice sent her and the bike skidding backwards, landing in front of Ren and the others.

“...Queen?” Ren asked. The teal-haired girl looked up, adjusting the mask on her face, before gasping.

“Ren? Why are you here? You should be- oh, wait. We can talk about this later. I’m assuming the man in a half-bear costume is our enemy?”

“Uh, yeah. That’s Teddie. He messed with some headphones and now he’s going nuts.” Yosuke mumbled. “...Are you a Phantom Thief?”

Queen cleared her throat, before hopping back onto Anat, smiling. “Yes, I am. Now, sit tight, boys. I can handle this. Hopefully.”

Ren smiled. “Go get’em, Queen. Loving the new color.”

Makoto blushed, before driving back towards the bear-serk opponent, firing a few more quick bursts of Frei towards him. She was conserving her energy, it seemed like. Although that training with Maya and Katsuya must have worked wonders for his team- or at least her- if she was able to fight like this. He winced as she slammed the bike into the bear, watching as Teddie went flying through a wall, and the attack stopped for a moment. She drove back to Ren. “I’m heading up to Kirijo. You need to get out of here.”

“I’m coming.” Ren shook his head. “I can’t sit back any more, not with what I know. I need to help.”

“You can help us by making it out safely. Once you get out of here, the mission is over, and we head back to Boss’ to rest up.”

Ren froze. He hadn’t even considered how worried Sojiro was. The guy could be a bit of a hardass at times, but Sojiro had practically taken him in as a son. “I… I’m sorry, Makoto, but as your leader, I’m going to need to come with you.”

“Me too!” Kanji said, stepping out of the closet. “We gotta stop that fake Kirijo before she messes up anyone else!”

“Fake Kirijo?” Queen asked. Ren shrugged.

“I’ll explain on the way up.”

“...Fine.” She relented.

They were stopped as Teddie crawled out, limping slightly. Yosuke began to jog closer to the blonde boy, before Teddie suddenly held his arms out, gesturing for Yosuke to stop. His body shook, as he looked at the group, his eyes lucid for a brief moment.

“I-I-I’m not doing this on purpose, I sw-swear!” Teddie said, before suddenly gripping his head. His eyes flashed yellow again, Teddie dropping to his knees with a blood-curdling cry. Yosuke took another step forward.

“Listen Ted, I know you’re not.” He said, gently. “Please, just get a hold of yourself. You’re strong, Teddie. I know it.”

Queen watched for a moment, before her eyes widened. “The headphones! So, Futaba had mentioned them messing with the brain to an absurd degree, but I hadn’t expected it would be this much. It’s almost like…”

“Teddie is being reverted back to his primal, shadow self? I mean, Shadow Teddie was a hell’uva lot more intimidating, but I hate to see him in pain like this.” Yosuke finished for her. He reached out to Teddie. “C’mon, the Ted I know is stronger than that. Isn’t that right--”

Yosuke was suddenly cut off as Teddie let out a deafening roar, the glass on the windows shattering as a wall of jagged ice jutted toward Yosuke. Kanji immediately swooped in, yanking Yosuke back before the ice could do any lasting damage. A decent chunk of it dug into the older man’s arm though, as Yosuke shouted in pain. Teddie’s eyes were watering, the headphones on his head letting loose a continuous stream of sparking energy.

Yosuke’s jaw tensed. “You all go. I’m going to get those headphones off Teddie.”

Kanji’s eyes widened. “Huh? No way, Senpai! I’m gonna-” Yosuke shook his head.

“You’ve gotta avenge, Naoto, right?” He smiled slightly. “C’mon, Kanji. Man up, and show that fake Mitsuru what happens when she messes with our squad.” 

Ren hopped on the back of Anat, as Queen revved the engine. “Kanji-san,” Ren began. “You’ll have the support of the Phantom Thieves. As the leader of the Phantom Thieves, I promised not to leave anyone behind ever again. And while Shirogane-san wasn’t part of the team, if she sacrificed her life for me, I’m not letting it go in vain.” 

Yosuke slowly stood up, clapping Kanji on the back. “Hear that? You’ve got the Phantom Thieves.” He smiled weakly, before gently pushing Kanji back towards the other Persona-users. “Go, dumbass. I’ve stuck with Teddie for years, I’m not about to abandon him now. And I’m not letting you abandon Naoto.” 

Kanji’s eyes widened. “...Senpai… you know, despite what other people say, you’re pretty cool.”

Yosuke chuckled, before turning back towards Teddie. “Just get going. I’ll keep Ted distracted.” He suddenly flung one of his kunai towards Teddie, sticking the former shadow in the shoulder, before sprinting forwards and tackling him to the ground. The two men struggled on the ground, as Queen suddenly began driving forwards, Kanji sprinting afterwards.

Teddie raised a hand to stop them, before Yosuke elbowed Teddie in the face, before attempting to pry off the headphones. He felt a surge of energy shoot through his body, his own Persona threatening to burst out, as he suddenly took his hands away.

He backed off of Teddie, producing another set of kunai as the other Persona-users were comfortably out of sight. Yosuke grinned, slowly shifting in a battle stance. 

“You know, this brings back memories.” He said, cockily.

Teddie roared, a mixture of viscous, dark liquid and tears streaming down his face. His eyes flashed a furious, fiery yellow again, as several jagged icicles began forming in the air.

Yosuke sighed, clicking his kunai together. “...Don’t cry, Ted. I’ll save you if it’s the last thing I do.”

* * *

“And this, Okumura-san, is where all of the beautiful business happens here with the Kirijo Groups Tokyo Branch. Meetings upon meetings, each one changing the world one step at a time! You’ll surely be in here some day, perhaps even when you start college you’ll be called in for these world-changing meetings.”

Haru had her most polite expression on, simply nodding along with what the guide was saying. She had gotten used to this. Adults droning on and on about the business empire she was supposed to take on. It was tiring. She glanced backwards, watching through several of the glass windows as security guards made their rounds. 

Still, she had to admit. The plan to simply use her ties to the upper echelons of society in order to get a private tour of the building was nice. It simply gave them a failsafe. If Queen didn’t manage to make her way up to the higher floors, then Haru would most likely be able to make it up on her own, with support from Futaba. As far as ‘Plan B’s’ went, it was fairly better than their usual.

Since they normally never had a ‘Plan B’.

“Futaba-chan, how close am I to Mitsuru?” She whispered, as the tour guide turned around.

“Ah, did I hear you ask about how close you are to Kirijo-san? Well, she is an entire two floors away, at the pinnacle of this building! The only floor above her is the roof, adorned with a beautiful greenhouse, and a signal tower! It’s quite the sight, did you want to look at the roof? I heard you were a fan of gardening at school!”

As intriguing as a greenhouse sounded, she had a mission to fulfil. “I was actually wondering if I could get a meeting with Kirijo-san? Today, if possible. I would like to get acquainted with her, seeing as my Father can not.”

The guide adjusted her tie uncomfortably, “Ah, yes, your father…” She grimaced for a moment, before regaining her composure. “As much as I would love to help you on that front, I simply can’t. Not today. Kirijo-san is feeling… unwell, and isn’t able to see anyone today. I will let the staff know of your interest, however. It’s honestly so delightful you’re taking everything in such stride! You certainly are a strong young woman.”

Haru shrugged, giggling, before hearing an increasingly loud noise approach the two of them. Wheels thumping against steps, before finally skidding on flat ground, and the sound of an incredibly powerful vehicle hurtling towards them. Anat slowed to a halt, stalling next to Haru and the guide, with a winded-looking Ren holding onto her waist for dear life. Haru gasped.

“Ren-kun! You’re okay!”

Her leader winced. “Not for long if Queen doesn’t slow down…” He rested his head against her back. “Queen-senpai, please have mercy…” 

Makoto scoffed. “You’re the one that wanted to come.”

“I know…”

Another, larger man slowly made his way up the steps, panting.

“Christ… you kids are fast… hang the hell on, dammit!” Kanji yelled, before jogging to try and catch up with them.

Makoto rolled her eyes, gesturing for Haru to hop on. There wasn’t much space left on the bike, and her and Ren would be certainly cramped close together. Still, without hesitation, she hopped on and held onto Ren, making a daisy-chain of Phantom Thieves. Makoto passed over her black mask, as she slid it over her face, before making eye contact with the guide. The tour guide sputtered, pressing her back against the wall as she stared at the three Thieves, terrified. Haru held up one finger to her lips, before winking.

“No one will ever believe you.” She whispered, before Makoto revved the engine on her Persona, and they continued their trek upwards.

* * *

The thing that had currently claimed the identity of Kirijo Mitsuru sat calmly at her desk, a chessboard set out in front of her. She had modified the rules a bit, setting it so that the black pieces only had a queen on the board, and the white pieces had all of their ranks. Then, slowly, move after move, she slowly inched the queen towards a checkmate.

Kujikawa Rise slowly entered the office, the faint outline of her Persona shimmering behind her. She smoothed out her skirt, before speaking.

“The Phantom Thieves are making incredible progress through the building.” She reported.

“I know.” Mitsuru replied calmly, looking up from her game. “That’s fine. Tell all of your friends that they can stop.”

Rise seemed confused. 

“Tell them they can stop pretending. As if I didn’t realize that you all were trying to sneak around me like the snakes you are. Or… more like worms, but that seems a bit cliche.”

Rise’s brow furrowed. “I.. I don’t know what you’re talking about, Kirijo-san.”

‘Mitsuru’ smirked. The poor thing. She had been so intent on loyalty and trust this entire time, and just like all the others, and as a result was an absolutely dreadful liar. Humanity was so filled with contradictions and meaningless platitudes, so high up on their soapboxes spouting nothing but fluff and garbage. Of course, until things got complicated, or scary, or dangerous, or even attempted to inch out of the norm. Then humans panic, show their true selves and get rid of the pathetic heroic masks that they planned on wearing. She waved her hand to the side slightly. “Move a bit to the left, dear. It’s not safe to stand in front of the door.”

Rise shuffled to the side, before- as if entirely planned- Makoto, Ren, Kanji, and Haru burst through the door. They seemed to spring into action, the Niijima girl rolling off to the side as her Persona unfolded from a flashy bike to a flashy automaton. The Okumura heir rolled off to the other direction, yelling as her own Persona flared to life, Astarte circling around her like a satellite. Kanji simply picked up the largest object he could- being an extremely expensive wooden chair- and held it menacingly towards her. Ren didn’t act, simply staring her down with a look that could kill.

“You’re going to pay for this.” He snarled, his own pathetic Persona trying to form. Arsene flickered behind him, like a candle desperately trying to emit light during a snowstorm. Poor thing. He must have been working himself so hard.

“Just what I’d expect from a Joker.” ‘Mitsuru’ announced. “Such drive! Once I wrap up this little phase, I am going to have a field day with you.” Ren opened his mouth to speak again, as she held up a finger, signaling him to stop. “Hang on, we have a few more coming.” Again, as if timed perfectly, Aigis and Ann found their way into the room, both of them summoning Athena and Hecate respectively.

“I’m assuming that’s everybody? Well, obviously not everybody, but everybody who’s going to waste their time here.” ‘Mitsuru’ got up, walking around her desk before casually picking up her rapier. All eyes were on her. All of them filled with betrayal, anger, hatred… it was beautiful in a sense. The creature took a deep breath, before striking faster than any of the Persona-users could register. A streak of red and black, before Haru found herself violently gasping as the rapier dug into her chest, fully piercing through her chest.

Ah. That brought back memories.

The faux-leader of the Shadow Operatives quickly removed the rapier, watching with a smile as Haru dropped to the ground, grasping at her wound. A furious cry of ‘Freidyne!’ over her shoulder. The false Mitsuru simply moved out of the way, as the nuclear fire stuck the heiress instead, sending Haru into even more convulsions of pain.

Stunned silence, as ‘Mitsuru’ turned around to face everyone else. Makoto covered her mouth, tears welling up as she was seemingly locked in shock. The others didn’t know what move to make. It seemed reasonable. They were used to tiny strike teams and having full control of their power. They were outside of their element, not counting the robotic ‘Wild Card’, and even Aigis seemed hesitant to fight in the first place. The impostor quirked a brow, before chuckling. “Oh, is it my turn again? Alright. Megidolaon.” She snapped her fingers, as giant orbs of light formed from the outside of top floor windows, before several large beams rocketed in, each one striking the stunned Persona-wielders.

The false Mitsuru rolled her shoulders back as her opponents slowly stumbled their way to their feet. She laughed, her voice distorting into a mangled, maniacal rumble.

“You should be honored. After all, you’re going to die at the mercy of the Crawling Chaos before anyone else. Goodbye.”


	25. Ground Zero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Final Confrontation.

Ren wasn’t prepared.

He had always believed his team was capable, and to an extent, they were. They had all adapted to their powers so quickly, that he might have been able to argue that they were prodigies. Of course, compared to the other adults surrounding his team, and the fact that the fake Kirijo had played with them to the point where Haru was a writhing mess on the floor… well, he was starting to have his doubts. He stumbled to his feet, the Megidoloan leaving him dazed. He rocked back and forth, before he saw a figure run past him, snarling. Kanji swung the chair he held at the monster, missing as it deftly dodged out of the way using Mitsuru’s lithe form.

“I’ll fuckin’ destroy ya’ for what you did to Naoto! You, you frea-” The punk screamed, before a hand clasped against his mouth. The arm seemed to sprout purely from the false Mitsuru’s back, as it began to ooze and expand, going from simply blocking Kanji from talking to starting to overtake his face, choking him alive. The beast spoke, as the features of its face began to melt away, slowly fading away into nothing, just leaving a smooth palette- the only remaining details being that of Mitsuru’s red hair framing the blank face.

“I prefer Nyarlathotep.” It said simply, ducking out of the way of a fireball. Ren watched as Ann pulled herself to her feet, as the fires of Hecate began whipping around her at a ferocity he hadn’t expected from his teammate. This was the type of strength that he had seen during their fight with Yaldabaoth. A fully awakened Persona- the real sign that her force of will had gone into full bloom. Ann threw her hand forwards, her pigtails whipping around by the growing force of her attack. Her Persona lunged forwards, the two beasts it held on chains starting to vibrate and bounce uncontrollably before bursting into a violent flame. He got a look at her eyes, as they flashed the same Shadow-esque yellow upon awakening, before she roared.

“Blazing Inferno!” She screamed, her voice breaking at the end, the mass of fire barreling towards Nyarlathotep. The monster stared at her, before simply moving Kanji up as a shield. The flames engulfed him, and the screams he emitted were terrifying. He was dropped onto the ground, thrashing about as he tried to extinguish fires that could rival hell itself. They weren’t going away easily. Ann had put her all into that one attack, and Ren ran over as fast as he could to catch his teammate, who passed out with a whimper, her Persona fading backwards.

Nyarlathotep chuckled. “So, that’s the power of the new generation? Friendly fire upon friendly fire? Contradiction over contradiction. You care so much about the well-being of others, but you hardly think about working as a team before attacking.” They laughed, walking over and grinding their heel onto Kanji’s chest, before kicking him away with an unprecedented amount of force. The large man slammed into the wall, crumpling. Helpless, as his voice grew more hoarse from screaming.

Aigis stepped forwards, eyes narrowed. “The creature is right. We refuse to work together, and suffer for it. We must stand together.” She threw her arms forwards, as they opened up and started to whirl, preparing a round of weaponry. Rise, Makoto, and Ren steadily limped towards her, standing in a line. “We are used to working in squadrons of four, correct? This should be easy.”

Rise laughed wryly. “Kouzeon isn’t exactly a combat Persona, and I can’t get a read on this thing’s weaknesses. I would assume fire, if it’s assuming Mitsuru’s form but…”

“It hardly reacted to Ann’s flames.” Ren finished. “And… I don’t think I can summon my Persona. Not well enough to fight.”

Makoto grimaced. “I… I still have some energy left. This is new to me, but just give me the call, and I’ll light her up with Anat! Once I get some damage in, you attack!” Aigis nodded, before simply pointing one hand forwards, and Makoto hopped onto her Persona, charging towards Nyarlathotep with seemingly reckless abandon. She quickly banked to the side, resulting in several quick, violent donuts around the creature as she released a barrage of nuclear attacks, the bursts of energy striking from every angle.

Makoto was strong. Ren knew that for a fact. She was one of the few members on his team that could cover any role she was assigned, and could definitely give him a run for his money as far as power went. That being said, she wasn’t invincible, and outside of the Metaverse, the fact that she was human became incredibly apparent. The more she circled, the fainter her Persona became. Her own body was beginning to shiver, before it finally hit Ren. That monster wasn’t attacking. It was simply standing there, watching as Makoto exhausted herself. It had lost its face, but he could feel the smug aura radiating from it. Then, it happened so suddenly.

Its hand snapped outwards, gripping Makoto by the face before slamming her into the ground. A mass of darkness swirled above her, before slamming into her back, sending her rocketing floors downwards. He swore he heard something crack. He desperately hoped it wasn’t her.

His body reacted before his mind did, the form of Arsene bursting from behind him and sending forth a powerful wave of cursed energy. It circled the monster, almost striking, before rippling and being sent backwards with ease, slamming into the shaggy-haired teen and sending him hurtling towards the door, skidding on his back as he winced.

Aigis charged forwards, rockets on her back flaring to life as she rammed into The Crawling Chaos, locking hands as they found themselves in a grappling stalemate. A Persona slowly emerged from the blonde android, taking the form of what one could assume was a goddess. Ren could tell it was a truly powerful Persona. “Pallas Athena!” Aigis yelled, as the Persona revealed itself in full glory. The goddess Persona’s fists glowed, before swinging towards Nyarlathotep with an intense fury. “God’s Hand!” The blonde yelled, as the hands struck, doing what could only be assumed to be the first bit of damage done to the monstrosity. Their grip broke, as Nyarlathotep stumbled, before recovering with astonishing speed.

“Ah, Philemon’s little thought project. If I remember correctly, you only gained the power of the Wild Card because the first one was too much of a failure to survive.” The beast laughed, as Aigis snarled.

Rise gasped. “Aigis, no! It’s preparing something tricky!”

The living weapon wasn’t listening. Ren slowly sat up, only watching in awe as energy began to swirl around her at an absurd rate. It was like something out of an anime, as Aigis and Athena both pointed towards- the former with her weaponized hand and the latter with a spear. “Akasha Arts! Destroy it!” She screamed, as the Persona released another flurry of blows. Nyarlathotep chuckled, before holding out one hand, sending out a rippling wave of energy. For the moment, it seemed as if Aigis and Athena’s properties switched, with the wielder becoming rippling and semi-transparent like her Persona, and her Persona becoming fully solid and ‘realized’. Nyarlathotep took the moment to catch Athena’s spear, snapping it in half, before stabbing it into the Persona’s chest.

Aigis’ head snapped backwards, before she clutched her head in agonizing pain. Ren thought back. In all of their fights, their Persona’s had never been attacked directly. It seemed impossible, as attacks would phase through. But this being had the ability to truly attack someone’s soul? Aigis collapsed to the ground, still trying to recover from the swift attack, as Nyarlathotep began to slowly approach Rise.

“Let’s get one more pathetic runt out of the way.

* * *

Maya practically fainted. She stumbled, Katsuya catching her as an old wound on her chest began to flare up, and a sense of fear shot through her body.

“Oh no.” She whispered. This feeling was familiar. Too familiar. There were two things that caused that wound to ache, and as much as she would love the idea that an old friend was about to stroll into the building, she was beginning to have her doubts. She grabbed on to Katsuya’s arm, tugging on it. He turned towards her, his expression shifting from bored to very worried in an instant.

“Maya, are you alright? More headaches?”

“Something is wrong. Something is very, very-” She paused, as Ryuji limped back into the lobby from one of the back doors. The body of Shirogane Naoto within his grip. Blood leaked from his face, as he dropped to one knee. Chie ran over to catch him, as the other watched on with horror. Maya suddenly began working on a healing spell, as Ryuji coughed, spitting blood onto the lobby floor.

“Uh… a lot’s happened in the past, like, twenty minutes. Naoto is dead. Kirijo-san has been replaced by an evil clone, Amada-san got possessed by a demon octopus, and I’m gettin’ the feeling that we need to get outta here.” He said, quickly.

There was a brief moment of silence, before Makoto crashed down into the lobby.

“...Wasn’t Makoto supposed to be on the top floor?” Yusuke asked, slowly approaching the hole in the ceiling that his teammate had just fallen through, while the others ran over to check on Makoto. Maya closed her eyes- light surrounding her body as she summoned Artemis and casted Diarahan on the fallen girl, as she practically jumped to her feet, panting, before stumbling backwards. Katsuya caught her, staring at her with a worried expression.

“Makoto, what’s wrong? What… happened?”

She blinked, before looking up, dizzily. “H-huh? Katsuya-sensei? I… I was fighting and… I- I was in Kirijo’s office, but it wasn’t really Kirijo and- it was some demon? A Shadow? But not a normal shadow, it had a name…”

Yu unsheathed his model katana, staring upwards. “...What was its name?”

“It was… Nya… something. I- I think I need a bit of a breather, I’m sorry.”

Maya folded her arms. So. That’s what her Shadow meant. She had hoped it wasn’t the case, but... “Nyarlathotep. This is bad. Really, really bad. We need to get you kids out of here, now.” Nyarlathotep was terrifying. Even her and Katsuya, who could access their Personas with ease, didn’t know how to deal with him. Not alone. And the amount of time it would take to call Lisa and Eikichi wouldn’t be worth it. They needed to leave. “Where’s Ren, Haru and Ann? You managed to get Ren, right?”

Makoto sighed. “He wanted to fight, but… I don’t think we can win. They’re all on the top floor.”

Katsuya grimaced, before looking at Maya. “We’re going to need to get them. They can’t fight him. We gave them enough training to summon and maybe do some fighting if needed. This is different, they’ll die if--”

“I know that, damnit!” Maya snapped, rubbing her temples. She didn’t know if she wanted to cry, sprint up the steps as fast as she could, or just lay down and accept their fate. “We… we won’t be able to get up there in time. We’d need a miracle.”

”Uh, as flattered as I am, I wouldn’t call myself a miracle. Futaba works fine.” A flashing, multicolored, orb-like Persona floated in front of the front doors. Futaba’s voice echoed from Prometheus. ”Still, I think I could get you a ride. Hop in.”

* * *

The idol continued to stumble backwards, genuine fear in her eyes. It’s advance was stopped by what seemed to be the sound of a storm rolling inwards. The sky darkened, almost growing to the pitch of night as a voice echoed through the air.

“Reveal your true self! Caesar!”

Ren’s voice was caught in his throat, as he bore witness to a gigantic Persona. He recognized it as Sanada’s Persona, the one that had the ability to wield lightning like it was nothing. But… he hadn’t realized it’s true size was so large, almost on par with the true size of Satanael. Despite the darkness, it was practically a beacon of hope. Sitting in the small throne within its chest sat Akihiko, his eyes angry. The limp form of Amada Ken rested on the older man’s lap. 

The Persona clutched a model of the Earth in one hand, before it was spun furiously, streaks of green energy whipping out from it before slamming into Nyarlathotep, seemingly binding it.

“First, Sukunda. Now, Thunder Reign!” The massive Persona raised it’s sword in the air, electricity crackling before it swung the blade downwards, several bursts of lightning rocketing towards and slamming into the monster. Enough to fry and kill a normal person several times over, and after each bolt of lightning, it seemed to weaken the beast each time. Ren slowly stood up, before concentrating. He needed to be able to find his own strength to mirror Sanada-san’s. It was do or die, and he knew Akihiko’s assault wasn’t going to be enough. He felt it. 

This was a situation similar to Yaldabaoth. So, he had just the Persona for the job.

The cursed flames began to surround him once again, as he practically dug inside his soul for Satanael. This was risky, and probably impossible, but Personas came from the strength of the heart, and he knew that Persona was deep within him somewhere. His heart needed to be strong enough to handle this- if it wasn’t, then they were all goners for sure. His knees shook, his head feeling like it was seconds from exploding. His teeth grinded together, his fingers gripping into his scalp as he screamed in pain. He was terrified, as the flames grew wilder and he found himself inching closer to either success or utter failure.

And then… it clicked. He felt the massive presence behind him, as Satanael revealed itself in it’s true splendor. The two gigantic Persona’s flanked the now comparatively small, false form of Kirijo Mitsuru. The massive Persona cocked its gun, pointing it at the monster. Ren smiled weakly, as the energy began to gather.

“Sanada-san!” Ren yelled. “On the count of three, we finish this! Consider this your redemption!”

“Whatever you say, kid! Let’s turn this monster into dust!” Akihiko replied, Caesar’s sword raising for another attack.

“One!” Ren took a careful, yet shaky breath. The Sinful Shell was his most powerful technique, and if this thing was so arrogant, it had to be one of the gods that his holy bullet was meant to kill. It was fate.

“Two!” The lightning around Caesar’s sword began to crackle and heat up, turning the blade a bright red. Energy began to pump around it, as the globe it held in its hands began to fissure and crack, heat and lava exploding from the surface.

“Three!” Ren pointed forwards. “Ravage it! Satanael!” The bullet exploded forth, made of pure light shooting towards the monster. Akihiko swung his sword downwards, the lightning slamming into Nyarlathotep first, before the bullet almost made contact…

Almost.

Ren gasped, as the bullet seemed to freeze in midair, slowly being overtaken by darkness, before suddenly finding itself redirected towards Akihiko. There was a crash, as the gigantuan Persona slammed into one of the buildings surrounding the Kirijo Building, it’s head splitting and shattering into pieces, slowly fading as Akihiko and Ken began to plummet to the ground. Nyarlathotep stood up, as it’s form began to shift again. This time into a tan-skinned man with shaggy dark hair, wearing a black jacket with red trim. Professional, yet just as menacing. He rolled his neck, before stepping towards Ren, gripping him by the collar.

“You should see the irony in this. You used that technique to kill Yaldabaoth, which was impressive, but was also what released me.”

Ren stared, confused, before he was slowly lifted off the ground.

“Let me explain, and pardon the exposition, but this is important. Yaldabaoth represented humanity’s wish to be controlled. The suppression of free will. While it was able to only truly take a form in recent years, it had always existed. It was a facet of humanity. As soon as the first brain thought, Yaldabaoth was. Along with myself, Philemon, Nyx… we all existed as soon as any mind could develop such concepts. It was just… weak. Pathetic. Until humanity became weak and pathetic, and then it finally found some worth in its existence. Anyways, I was sealed many a moon ago, and Yaldabaoth was my lock. It’s obsessive control countered my chaos. But… when you killed it, and truly returned humanity's free will…”

“...I released you.” Ren whispered, his mind racing. “But… we did a good thing. We helped people, people couldn’t just live like puppets!”

Nyarlathotep looked at him with an expression that almost resembled pity. “Poor thing. Humanity will always be puppets in the grand theme of things. You gave people free will once more, which is beautiful and touching. The free will to kill, steal, destroy… you truly saved the world.”

Energy began to gather, slowly finding its way towards Nyarlathotep. Ren looked around, before realizing where the energy was coming from with horror. It was being sapped from all of the fallen Persona users, even Rise collapsed on the ground, her Persona slowly darkening and distorting, before vanishing entirely, crawling to join the mass that was Nyarlathotep.

“But you made one crucial mistake, ‘Joker’. Now that the major avatar for control is destroyed, I’m much more powerful than I was the last time I was freed. And so, I can jump start my plans right here and now!” The energy continued to culminate, and Ren couldn’t decide whether it was pitch black or a blinding white. “The power of Persona belonged to Philemon, but I am thou as well! He wields Personas, I wield Shadows, and so I shall send this world of light and hope into the world of Shadows that it hence came! The world shall join its forgotten past once more!”

The orb of energy flew upwards, obliterating the ceiling before splitting and exploding in the sky into the shape of a cross. The cross hovered in the air, ominous, almost akin to the blade of a guillotine waiting to drop.

He saw an object rising up from the edge of the building at a frightening pace. He squinted, before his heart practically stopped.

Futaba.

“Get out of here!” Ren ordered, as Nyarlathotep turned around, sneering.

“More pathetic humans. Whatever, they can challenge me as much as they want. It won’t matter.”

Several forms dropped out of the Persona, hopping in through the broken window and taking their own positions to fight. Yu ran over to Rise, checking to see if she was alright, before she passed him a pair of headphones. Maya and Yusuke stared down the Crawling Chaos, before summoning their respective Personas with a yell. Artemis charged forwards, holding out her hands and freezing the evil gods legs in place, as Susano-o aimed a quick strike at it’s arms, causing him to drop Ren. He groaned as he dropped to the floor, and looked over at his two saviors.

“Hey, Nyarly. It’s been a while.” Maya scowled. He had never seen this expression on her before. Anger. She had seemed like the type of woman who wouldn’t let anything phase her, but right now, she seemed like she was reaching her breaking point.  
“Ah, Amano-san. Too bad we won’t be talking long.” Nyarlathotep replied snidely, before firing another barrage of almighty energy as the three newcomers. Yusuke caught the full brunt of it, being sent away like a ragdoll. Maya held her own, before focusing and sending another wave of freezing energy. “Freeze him, Artemis! Diamond Dust!” It caused enough damage to get him to attempt to block, at the very least, Ren noted. The god smiled.

“Now that’s a Persona. I will truly enjoy killing you during this rematch.” He sent a wave of dark energy towards Maya, before a yell shook the entire penthouse, causing the wave to fly off track. Ren looked around frantically for the source, before seeing Yu, trembling. The headphones were on his head, practically smoking with the amount of electricity running through them. Yu gritted his teeth, before screaming again.

 **“PERSONA!”** Yu roared, as his Persona began to pull and crawl out of the sea of souls. It was glowing, almost angelic. Definitely divine.

_”I am thou. Thou art I. You have summoned thee from the depths of thy rage, and shall be protected by the calmness of thy soul. I am Izanagi-no-Okami, and thine purpose is to destroy this false god.”_

A calm, yet powerful voice echoed, a perfect contrast to the manic look on Yu’s normally stoic face. Izanagi-no-Okami lunged forwards, swinging it’s blade towards Nyarlathotep, as Maya sprinted past in order to grab Ren, helping him to his feet.

“Maya-san, I…”

“Don’t worry about it, Ren-kun. It’s not your fault.” She smiled, wearily, before pulling him towards Prometheus, as an opening appeared in the craft, and Futaba’s arm waved out of it.

”Hi, Ren! This is super cool, but I also don’t want to die, so let’s hurry it up!”

Ren looked back at the battle behind him, the bright, powerful light of Izanagi combatted the darkness of Nyarlathotep. He had the sudden feeling that Yu might have gotten a hold of the battle, but he didn’t know for how long. If Teddie ended up losing control so quickly, Ren had no idea how long Yu could stay lucid enough to separate friend from foe. The two beings clashed, flashes of divine light emanating from them both. Yu screamed, Izanagi’s blade slicing Nyarlathotep in half, before the chaotic being faded into a puddle of viscous, dark liquid and slowly began to overtake Izanagi, the Persona getting swept up by the wave of dark energy, being consumed and swallowed by it as Yu collapsed to his knees. Yusuke limped back into the room, gesturing frantically for Rise to follow him, as Maya not-so-gently shoved him into Prometheus, and hopped inside as well.

It was cramped. He wasn’t sure how Yusuke, Maya, Yu, and Futaba managed to fit in here without breaking anything. Still, he was worried about Yu. They were Wild Cards together, he couldn’t just leave him behind- and it quickly seemed like he wouldn’t, as Futaba belted out in a panicked scream.

“I can’t move! Prometheus isn’t moving!” She screamed, before they all felt themselves jerking forwards, and a sudden blunt impact. Prometheus vanished as Futaba’s concentration fully broke, leaving them sprawled on the floor. Nyarlathotep was glaring at them, both of his hands occupied. One of them grabbing Yusuke by the neck, the other gripping Yu, and Rise stuck underneath his heel.

“Oh, Maya. You wouldn’t be trying to take my precious Joker away, would you? That seems like cheating. After all, I wanted you to get a front row seat of the ensuing chaos.” He laughed, before the ominous cross in the sky began to make its way downwards, increasing in speed before crashing into their floor of the building. It split the building four ways, causing Ren, Maya, and Futaba to tumble in different directions.

The bottom of the Kirijo building was engulfed in growing darkness, before it began to hitch and fall, crashing to one side, and then another, before collapsing in on itself. Ren saw forms starting to scramble from the darkness. Not his friends but… more monstrous. Demonic. Beasts and shadows that were only supposed to be relegated to the darkest reaches of humanity. The building shook again, before his vision began to grow darker and darker, his head starting to pound.

“I know your memories of the Other Side are fuzzy, Amano, but perhaps you’ll have some slight recollection of the Grand Cross. This is similar, although I don’t have much fanfare for it. Just consider this a... ‘belated reunion’.” He turned around, staring out of the window at the growing chaos, as Ren finally let the mixture of stress, exhaustion, and pain take over, his vision beginning to fade.

He was quickly returned to his senses as he heard Yu scream again, energy bursting from his form as the building began to collapse further. The grey-haired man was practically hovering, his eyes flashing wildly as he slammed into Nyarlathotep, sending the god spiraling away as lightning bolts rocketed from Yu’s body. The pure power exuding from the former Wild Card shattered whatever remaining glass was left, and Ren watched his horror as Futaba scrambled to summon her Persona again, frantically reaching out for Ren as it began to quickly lose altitude. 

“Futaba!” Ren screamed, diving forwards towards the younger girl. 

“No! No no! Come on! Ren!” Futaba cried, their fingers briefly grazing each other before another sudden explosion of energy sent them flying further apart. 

As Futaba began to slowly lose altitude, the building seemed to be collapsing faster, his vision becoming a blur of debris and falling bodies as a collective group of Persona-users seemed to plummet towards an unending darkness. 

Ren closed his eyes, tears pricking the corners as his body went slack. The exhaustion weighed on him like a pound of bricks, as any sort of rebellion left his body, and morbid acceptance filled his thoughts. One word echoed throughout his head.

...

Failure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, NOW I can say thank you all for sticking with me through part one of this massive, overly-ambitious Persona fanfiction. 
> 
> I always tend to get overly ambitious with my writing, especially when it comes to fic ideas, which can usually result in things like... this. In all honesty- I wasn't expecting that many kudos or comments. I wrote Redux at first as a way to challenge and improve myself. I'm incredibly critical of my writing (and know VERY well that I'm not close to proficient with it), and honestly if I didn't force myself to continue forward with the narrative, I'd probably write a Redux of Redux, and keep making the chapters longer and attempting to one-up myself at every change I get. Still, my goal with this was simple: take the rickety story that I wrote over the summer, and turn it into something I could be at least somewhat proud of. So to see people get engaged and commenting? Well, it's an amazing feeling!
> 
> Dark Sun's upload schedule might be a bit irregular as I get back into the groove of things (and I may spend some time attending to my other fics)- but it is going to continue! 
> 
> I appreciate all of your comments, Kudos, bookmarks, and even the people who haven't decided to kudos but still gave it a shot to read through anyways! Every little number is more inspiration to keep writing and trying to improve myself, and I'm grateful for all of you! 
> 
> The next chapter is an incredibly brief epilogue that sets up some things that'll be furthered in Dark Sun, but the main story of Ground Zero is finished and moving on to bigger (and a lot more intense and insane) things! I hope you all stick along for the ride!
> 
> Stay safe, stay healthy, and again- thank you so much!
> 
> \- WiggityFresh


	26. Epilogue

**Sumaru City…?**

**Time: Unknown.**

A lone motorcycle drove past one of many abandoned buildings. The sky was a deep, dark red, and demons flew through the air without any rhyme or reason. The motorcycle was the only man-made object that still functioned, and there was one man on it, dressed in a ripped, red jumpsuit, and a cracked helmet. It was stopped by a wall of a few stray Jack Frosts. They hopped around, played with each other, before finally acknowledging the motorcycle in front of them.

”A human-ho? Hee-here?” One of them snickered, before getting smacked in the back of the head.

”Don’t mess with that hee-human! That’s the Sun-ho!” Another Jack Frost yelled, before doing the almost unimaginable, and bowing in respect, before starting to waddle out of the way.

”Huh? Oh! Hee-sorry! We’ll move-ho!” The first Jack Frost stuttered, as the mob of ice demons began to shift.

The man on the motorcycle nodded in thanks, before continuing to drive forwards, before he heard an echoing behind him, and a wave of shadows starting to head towards him. They approached swiftly, as a mob of demons scrambled their way towards him. He braced himself, taking a deep breath before time seemed to crawl to a halt except for him. He gunned in on the motorcycle, swiveling around and starting to go into the opposite direction he was heading- the direction the mob was moving- before looking up into the air.

A quiet gasp escaped from his helmet. There was a bright, gaping hole in the dark sky, and a building seemed to be falling through. Shadows and demons already seemed to be making their way upwards towards it, in several dark pillars.

He pulled a small lighter out of his pocket, his gloved hands flicking it open and shut, before carefully returning it. He sighed, before realizing there was one thing to do, and that was to follow along with the demons. Head towards the light.

Head towards freedom.

* * *

* * *

* * *

**Location: The End.**

**Time: Unknown.**

A large, gilded door sat silently amidst the Sea of Souls. Sealed shut for years, the statuesque personage of a young man hanging in front of it, arms sprawled outwards in a Christ-like visage. The statue was hollow, an aura of sadness and regret emanating from it.

The majesty of the monolithic door almost seemed to pale in comparison.

There was silence. Deafening. A terrifying stillness that could only be equated with death itself.

Before suddenly...

A crack.


End file.
